The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.accounts error 3.)

Ralf 80

unable to add exchange account to the mail app on osx

Carl Murphy 10 Reputation points

2025-12-10T19:34:43.68+00:00

I have the same issue for the past two days and not able to add the account back.

The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.accounts error 3.)
Matt Turner 0 Reputation points

2025-12-11T15:21:18+00:00

I'm getting this error once the account authenticates but Mac OS Mail still cannot connect. Removed the account and attempted to add it back to no avail. Outlook for Mac still working. It started a couple days ago when Mac mail said "account offline."
Hin-V 13,215 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-12T07:50:04.28+00:00

Hello everyone,

Thanks for sharing your concerns. To help us provide support more efficiently, please:Create a new thread on the forum describing your issue in detail.

Include your Outlook for Mac version and specify which license you are using.

This information will make it easier for our team to provide the appropriate support for your case.

Warm thanks.
Kostya Afendikov 5 Reputation points

2026-02-23T22:21:30.71+00:00

what helped for me, even as EWS enabled for individual email, but not on organization level

Turn on EWS org-wide

Set-OrganizationConfig -EwsEnabled $true

Verify it flipped

Get-OrganizationConfig | fl EwsEnabled

You want:

EwsEnabled : True

wait 15-30 min, restart Mac and try to add account again
rvg01 10 Reputation points

2026-03-07T05:38:05.59+00:00

You don't need to restart the Mac. After enabling Exchange Web Service EWS in the Org Settings, it does take a few hours to replicate across Microsoft for your tenant before you can go back into your Mac computer's Apple Mail application to add the Exchange email account again. But this change fixes and resolves this error!
Matt Kaufmann 0 Reputation points

2026-03-19T15:49:59.8766667+00:00

I sent this conversation to my IT department asking them if they had EWS enabled org wide. Turns out it was not, they enabled it, I waited 24 hours and then was able to add the exchange account.

Thank you to Kostya Afendikov

24 answers

cbyoda 10 Reputation points

2026-03-19T16:12:51.3066667+00:00

The problem comes from a Microsoft recommendation.
in admin.microsoft.com -> search for security baseline

The key "problem" recommendation is called "Block access to Exchange Web Services" this is REQUIRED for Mac mail!

The worst part is that once enabled there is a delay, so you don't realize the cause/effect until a few hours later.

Key = DO NOT FOLLOW THIS RECOMMENDATION IF YOU WANT MACMAIL TO WORK. Microsoft needs to include potential consequences with their recommendations in the future!
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1 person found this answer helpful.
Hans van Boggelen 0 Reputation points

2026-03-24T19:53:25.59+00:00

You have to divert from the optimal baseline in organization wide settings / baseline manager. DISabling the BLOCKING of EWS did the trick. As long as modern auth is still active, the risk is marginal
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cbyoda 10 Reputation points

2026-03-02T23:47:20.91+00:00

What a nightmare. Microsoft recommends EWS be blocked, but don't say that is crashes authentication in MacMail... here is where the setting is:
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1 person found this answer helpful.
rvg01 10 Reputation points

2026-03-07T05:31:15.5+00:00

After enabling EWS at the org level, it took a few hours for it to replicate throughout Microsoft for my tenant, but this successfully resolves the apple error. Thanks for your screenshot!

rvg01 10 Reputation points

2026-03-07T05:41:38.8+00:00

Thank you for this screenshot! Go to the "Block Access to Exchange Web Services" and disable this and once your org settings take, it effectively enables EWS then your exchange email account works again in Apple Mail.
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Craig Votava 5 Reputation points

2026-01-30T01:15:11.31+00:00

Running this command via Exchange Online PowerShell worked for me:

Set-OrganizationConfig -EwsAllowLegacyAuth $true
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Pratham Gupta 5 Reputation points

2025-12-13T18:47:05.8266667+00:00

try clearing your outbox and then check. It worked for me after that.
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1 person found this answer helpful.
Kostya Afendikov 5 Reputation points

2026-02-23T22:20:34.1133333+00:00

what helped for me, even as EWS enabled for individual email, but not on organization level

Turn on EWS org-wide

Set-OrganizationConfig -EwsEnabled $true

Verify it flipped

Get-OrganizationConfig | fl EwsEnabled

You want:

EwsEnabled : True

wait 15-30 min, restart Mac and try to add account again
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Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.
Q&A Assist

2025-11-19T13:58:13.6266667+00:00

AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more
The error message you are encountering when trying to add an Exchange account to the Mail app on macOS could be related to issues with the Autodiscover service or account settings. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue:
1. Check Autodiscover Configuration: Ensure that the Autodiscover CNAME record is set up correctly for your domain. This is crucial for Outlook and other mail clients to retrieve the necessary settings for connecting to Exchange Online.
2. Enable EWS: If you are using an older version of Outlook, ensure that Exchange Web Services (EWS) is enabled in Exchange Online. You can enable it using PowerShell commands if necessary.
3. Verify Certificate: If there are issues with the SSL certificate for your domain, it may prevent the connection from being established. Make sure that the certificate matches the user's SMTP domain.
4. Group Policy Settings: If you are in a managed environment, check the Group Policy settings to ensure that Autodiscover is not disabled. The policy settings should allow for connected experiences in Office to enable cloud Autodiscover options.
5. Manual Configuration: If automatic configuration fails, you may need to manually enter the account settings for the Exchange account in the Mail app.
If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider using the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer to test the Autodiscover service for any misconfigurations.

References:
- Outlook can't set up a Microsoft 365 account
- Outlook can't set up a new profile by using Exchange Autodiscover for an Exchange Online mailbox in Microsoft 365
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The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.accounts error 3.)

Turn on EWS org-wide

24 answers

Turn on EWS org-wide

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