Using Gmail? Upcoming Changes Could Affect You

If you are a Gmail user, and especially if you use a free Gmail account, some upcoming changes could affect you. Google will be discontinuing its support of “Use Less Secure Apps” which may have an impact on your organization’s scan-to-Gmail functionality.

What this means for you

If you currently have your copier set up to scan to Gmail, you may experience an interruption in your scan to email service. That's because Google will be requiring Two-factor authentication and removing the option for “less secure apps” to connect. The good news is that there are options for you to work around this change and the resulting issues.

Scan to Gmail alternatives

This will allow you to use the SMTP relay service. Please discuss this setup with your IT administrator. You can find more information here.

Most copiers can be set to scan to a folder. This requires an IT admin to set up a shared folder and allow permissions to create the connection. Please see your IT professionals for further information on setup.

Scanning directly to Google Drive allows capacity for larger file sizes. It can also be a more collaborative way of sharing information while providing a higher level of security. This feature does require additional services like Papercut, Uniflow Online, or Ricoh RSI. Please contact your EO Johnson representative with additional questions or for a quote.

Potential workarounds

Our vendors have offered a couple of recommendations based on recent documentation posted by Google and Microsoft.

1. Using the Google App Password method allows users to create a password that will be used at the multifunction printer (MFP).
2. If using an MS365 account, more steps are required. While MS365 supports app passwords in a similar way to Google, you must allow Two-Factor Authentication. Then you must allow users to create an app password. The administrator of the MS365 account must also enable authenticated SMTP services. Further instructions can be found here.

At EO Johnson Business Technologies and Locknet® Managed IT, we do not recommend switching to another free email provider, nor can we support non-enterprise email accounts due to potential security risks. Should your organization decide to make changes regarding your email provider, updating your copier’s Scan to Email settings will likely be necessary. Included below are helpful links from our vendors on Scan to Email setup for popular models.

1. HP Scan to Email setup instructions.
2. Ricoh Scan to Email setup instructions.
3. Canon Scan to Email setup instructions.

We understand this is an inconvenience for end-users and administrators alike. Using any free email service without Two-Factor Authentication has the potential to open a vulnerability within your organization. For assistance in setting up an alternative scan option, or if you have further questions, reach out to the experts at EO Johnson Business Technologies at 844-342-5365. Please note that depending on contract terms, additional assistance may be subject to time and material charges. We are dedicated to providing you with world-class customer service to help you navigate this development and the ever-changing challenges of doing business.

Want to know more? Check out this article from Google.