Gmail no longer supports sending emails via SMTP using standard Gmail credentials (username and password), which many users may attempt in their Front Desk setup.
Instead, you must setup and use an 'App Password'.
If you wish to send emails from Front Desk using the SMTP (Direct Email) using your Gmail account, please follow the steps below:
Creating an 'App Password' in Gmail
1) Log in to your Gmail account using a web browser.
2) Click the Menu option in the top-right of the screen, then select Account.
3) From the left-hand menu, select Security.
4) Under the 'How you sign in to Google' section, make sure you have enabled and set up 2-Step Verification.
Troubleshooting this step:
When trying to enable 2-Step Verification, you may see a message like:
"This setting is disabled by your admin" or "This function is not available on your account."
This means your Google account is managed by your company or organisation, and your administrator has not enabled the 2FA option for your account.
In this case you will need to:
Contact your Google Workspace administrator.
Ask them to enable 2-Step Verification in the Admin Console.
For Admins: How to Enable 2FA (Google Workspace)
If you are a Google Workspace administrator, here’s how to allow users to enable 2FA:
Sign in to the Google Admin console at https://admin.google.com
Go to Security > Authentication > 2-step verification
Under Allow users to turn on 2-step verification, select ON
Click Save
5) In the top search bar, type 'App passwords' and select this result
(or go to https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords directly).
This option will only be available if you have successfully enabled 2-Step Verification, please ensure you have followed the steps above.
6) On the 'App passwords' screen, enter a suitable name such as 'Front Desk' and click Create.
7) Copy the app password displayed.
Note: If you have multiple computers using Front Desk and sending emails from this Gmail account (using SMTP), please note this password down as it will need to be entered into each installation of Front Desk.
Using an 'App Password' in Front Desk
8) Open Front Desk and login as the Admin user.
9) Go to File > System Information and navigate to the Email tab.
10) Select SMTP (Direct Email) and enter the Gmail SMTP details. For most users this will be as below:
Server: smtp.gmail.com
Sender Name: The name you'd like to appear as the 'Sender'
Sender Email: Your Gmail Address
Reply Email: The address you'd like to receive replies to.
11) Click the More button and enter the following details:
Outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication: Enabled
Username: Your Gmail address
Password: Your App Password (as copied in Step 7)
SMTP Port: 465
Encryption Type: SSL
12) Click OK
13) Success! You have now configured Front Desk to send via Gmail (SMTP).
14) Optional: If you have multiple computers sending from this same Gmail account, repeat Steps 8-12 on each computer using the same 'App Password'.
If your other Front Desk installations use a different Gmail account and email, repeat Steps 1-12 as required.