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

Ralf 85 Reputation points
2025-11-19T13:57:52.4133333+00:00

unable to add exchange account to the mail app on osx

Exchange Online
Exchange Online

A cloud-based service included in Microsoft 365, delivering scalable messaging and collaboration features with simplified management and automatic updates.

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  1. AI answer

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

    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:

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  2. Hin-V 16,830 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-19T15:00:25.0233333+00:00

    Hi @Ralf

    Thank you for posting your question in Microsoft Q&A.

    We understand that your business account cannot be added to Apple Mail.

    Based on my research, this issue may be related to a known issue that Microsoft has acknowledged regarding Microsoft 365 email accounts disconnecting from Apple Mail. You can find more details here: Reconnecting your Microsoft 365 account to Apple Mail - Microsoft Support 

    You could try to follow these steps to troubleshoot it: 

    Re-enter Your Login Credentials 

    When prompted, click Edit Settings in the Apple Mail app and re-enter your login credentials. 

    If you don’t see this message in Apple Mail: 

    Open the Settings app. 

    Go to Apps -> Mail -> Mail Accounts. 

    Re-enter your login credentials. 

    Update Your Microsoft 365 Account in Apple Mail 

    1.Delete Your Microsoft 365 Account 

    Open the Settings app. 

    Tap Apps -> Mail. 

    Tap Mail Accounts -> Exchange. 

    Scroll to the bottom and click Delete Account. 

    2.Add Your Microsoft 365 Account Again 

    Open the Settings app. 

    Tap Apps -> Mail. 

    Tap Mail Accounts -> Add Account. 

    Select Microsoft Exchange and enter your credentials. 

    Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".      

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  3. KenV 5 Reputation points
    2025-11-20T13:42:15.4833333+00:00

    I am experiencing the same issue, on two different macOS systems (one on Sequoia and the other one on Tahoe).

    On both Macs I had no problems until a few days ago, then during troubleshooting, attempting to delete and re-add the Exchange account in System Settings - Internet Accounts results in the message "The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.accounts error 3.)"

    Screenshot 2025-11-20 at 14.40.42

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  4. Ralf 85 Reputation points
    2025-11-21T08:49:52.8033333+00:00

    In my case it looks like it has something to do with the license.

    The user who had the problems used a f3 license. I added an exchange license to it and now I'm able to setup the mail account in apple mail.

    and yesterday another user told he had problems using apple mail. I also added a exchange license to the user, but he has not yet confirmed if the problem is solved now.

    But I think think microsoft changed something on the license.

    When checking in the azure admin portal I can also see that imap is disabled for f3. For exchange licenses it's enabled. So I'm not sure if this was the same before the problems arised.

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  5. Ralf 85 Reputation points
    2025-11-21T13:29:23.84+00:00

    As you explain it this way it looks logical. But I don't understand why it worked for a long time and caused troubles since a few days. What changed?

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