A bug in the Gmail app on Android is blocking Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online accounts from authenticating, cutting off work email access for a growing number of users across dozens of device brands. As Piunika Web first reported on May 6, 2026, affected users are finding that the Gmail app refuses to authenticate their Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online accounts, effectively locking them out of work email on their phones. Reports have been building up in a Reddit thread on r/Gmail with users chiming in from Pixel 7, 8, 9, and 10 devices, as well as Samsung S24, Sony Xperia, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Motorola handsets.
The scale is significant. One IT consultant in the thread said the issue was hitting over 500 end users across 50 companies they support.
What Users Are Experiencing
The error message Gmail displays reads: "Check your account info or switch to modern authentication below. If you need help, contact your IT admin." Several users noted that the app then prompts for a password it simply rejects, regardless of what is entered.
Attempting to fix it by removing and re-adding the account makes things worse. Even stranger, deleting the account and trying to re-add it compounds the problem, with at least one commenter reporting they could not get their account back into Gmail at all after removing it.
The issue has since evolved into a persistent loop for many users, with the Gmail app pushing a "Credentials needed" notification every five minutes. Tapping the alert flashes a blank screen before dropping users right back where they started.
A recent Gmail app update (version 2026.04.27.910758475.Release) provides a false sense of security, as users confirm the credential prompt inevitably returns within 12 hours of installation.
This specific behavior appears to be hitting users with custom GoDaddy email addresses hosted by Exchange particularly hard.
