local mail clients

Local mail clients such as Outlook desktop, Thunderbird, and older Mail apps offer convenience but can pose security risks when relying solely on passwords. To enhance security on Windows 10 and 11, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) is recommended. However, some local mail clients may not support modern MFA sign-ins for IMAP, POP, or SMTP protocols. In such cases, app passwords provide a secure alternative by generating a long, one-time-use password that works with these clients. This approach helps protect accounts from unauthorized access while maintaining compatibility with traditional mail client configurations.