Question:

Why am I unable to sign in to my Google Account on my Android device running Android 2.3.7 or earlier?

Answer:

Starting from January 2021, due to security reasons, Google has restricted password-based access to accounts on devices using Android 2.3.7 or lower versions. This limitation aims to prevent potential hijacking attempts and protect against credential stuffing. As a result, users attempting to sign in to their devices or adding new email or calendar accounts may encounter a username/password incorrect error.

Here are some common scenarios leading to this issue:

After performing a factory reset on your device and trying to sign in.

When changing your password on the device or another device, causing you to be signed out and then receiving the error when attempting to sign back in.

Removing your account from the device and re-adding it later.

Creating a new account on the device.

If your device supports upgrading to a newer Android version (3.0 or higher), it's recommended to perform the update. In case the device cannot be updated, you can still use certain Google services by logging into them via the device's web browser.

To access your Google Account and email on the device, follow these steps:

Open the phone's browser app.

a. To access your account: Visit myaccount.google.com

b. To use Gmail: Visit https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/h.

Enter your username and password.

Note: Devices running Android 2.3.7 and below can still be used with non-Google accounts. Installed apps can be configured with non-Google accounts. Some features of certain