Exchange Online’s notice concerns Basic authentication for client submission through SMTP AUTH—not the end of SMTP AUTH itself or every way to send email from Microsoft 365. To prepare, identify which apps and devices still authenticate with a username and password, then update them to use OAuth 2.0 or move them to a sending method suited to their recipients and infrastructure. Microsoft’s original October 18, 2024 timeline is historical; check the current [SMTP AUTH retirement announcement](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/exchange-online-to-retire-basic-auth-for-client-submission-smtp-auth/4114750) for the latest milestones before setting a cutover date.
What the Basic authentication notice covers
The change applies to Exchange Online client submission using SMTP AUTH, including the endpoints named in Microsoft’s original announcement: smtp.office365.com and smtp-legacy.office365.com. It does not mean SMTP AUTH as a whole is being retired, nor does it cover every Exchange Online mail-sending method. The old October 18, 2024 title date should not be treated as a current cutoff: Microsoft Learn points readers to a newer timeline announcement, and its current milestones should be verified directly before planning a migration.
Basic authentication repeatedly sends username-and-password credentials. Microsoft recommends modern authentication instead. The Exchange Team’s April 15, 2024 announcement described the remedy this way: “The only remediation for this is to update your client or app to support OAuth, use a different client or app that supports OAuth, or use a different email solution such as High Volume Email or Azure Communication Services for Email.” That wording is from the original announcement; it is not a statement of the current rollout date.
Microsoft Learn explains that “Modern authentication (OAuth 2.0 token-based authorization) has many benefits and improvements that help mitigate the issues in basic authentication.” OAuth support must be implemented by the app or client; turning SMTP AUTH on for a mailbox does not change a Basic-authentication client into an OAuth client.
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Find apps and devices still using Basic authentication
Use the SMTP AUTH Clients report
- Open the new Exchange admin center and go to Reports > Mail Flow > SMTP AUTH Clients.
- Start with the default last-seven-days view. Expand the date range if the sender is intermittent; the report supports ranges up to 90 days.
- Review the sender address, domain, authentication protocol, TLS versions, and message counts. Microsoft identifies
TlsAuthLoginas Basic authentication andXOAUTH2as Modern authentication. - Export or record the results and map each sender to the application or device that generated it. A report entry identifies sending activity and protocol; it may take additional investigation to identify the business owner or exact device.
Build a migration inventory
For each sender, record the business owner, app or device name, sending mailbox, recipient scope, current authentication method, and vendor support status. Also note whether it sends internally, externally, or both, how often it sends, and whether it has a fixed public IP or certificate available if a relay design is being considered. These are practical planning fields, not a Microsoft-mandated inventory format.
Choose a replacement that fits the sender
First establish who must receive the messages and how the sender connects. A device that sends only internal alerts has different options from a line-of-business app that emails external customers. Confirm required capabilities, service limits, permissions, and infrastructure with Microsoft’s current service guidance before implementation.
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| Option | Recipient scope and connection model | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| SMTP AUTH with OAuth 2.0 | Client submission through SMTP AUTH; use when retaining SMTP submission is appropriate. | The app or device must obtain and use OAuth tokens. Verify its vendor supports OAuth for SMTP AUTH and test the required mailbox and permissions. |
| Microsoft Graph or another protocol | Protocol migration for applications whose requirements fit the alternative. | Confirm the required message-sending features, application permissions, and recipient workflow are supported. |
| High Volume Email (HVE) | Microsoft identifies HVE as an option for internal-only delivery. | Check current service limits and whether the sender’s volume and deployment fit the service. |
| Azure Communication Services Email | Microsoft identifies it as an alternative for internal and external recipients. | Check current service limits, setup, and application integration requirements. |
| SMTP relay | Connector-based relay rather than mailbox client submission; can suit senders whose infrastructure meets relay requirements. | Microsoft’s comparison describes connector and IP/certificate requirements. Confirm the required static public IP or certificate and connector configuration. |
| Direct Send | Unauthenticated sending for delivery within Microsoft 365 only. | It is not a solution when messages must be delivered to external recipients. |
These routes are not interchangeable. Compare recipient scope, hosting and network setup, sending volume, authentication support, and whether a licensed mailbox, static public IP, or certificate is required. Microsoft’s client SMTP submission and email-sending setup guidance distinguishes these methods; verify current limits during implementation.
Implement the migration without confusing setup with authentication
If keeping SMTP AUTH, move the client to OAuth
Microsoft documents OAuth 2.0 for SMTP AUTH. The application needs an update that obtains and presents OAuth tokens, and its implementation must be tested with the mailbox and permissions it will use. Basic-auth clients do not become OAuth-capable by changing a mailbox setting or by retaining the same SMTP host and port.
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If replacing SMTP submission, match the path to the use case
For a Microsoft 365 mailbox workflow, investigate Microsoft Graph if its supported functionality and permissions meet the application’s needs. For devices or services, distinguish internal-only needs from external delivery before selecting HVE, Azure Communication Services Email, SMTP relay, or Direct Send. Validate the chosen service’s current limits and infrastructure requirements before switching production traffic.
Do not mistake connection settings for a migration
Microsoft’s general client SMTP submission setup guidance specifies smtp.office365.com, TCP port 587 (or 25), TLS 1.2 or later, and a mailbox. These transport settings do not make Basic authentication a sustainable method; changing a port or enabling TLS alone does not replace the authentication mechanism.
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Check whether SMTP AUTH is needed
Microsoft says virtually all modern email clients that connect to Exchange Online mailboxes do not use SMTP AUTH for sending. Review whether each SMTP AUTH sender still needs it rather than assuming a mailbox must keep the feature enabled.
Microsoft recommends disabling SMTP AUTH at the organization level and enabling it only for mailboxes that need it. Tenant-wide and per-mailbox settings can be managed in the admin center or Exchange Online PowerShell. Before changing settings, check whether Security defaults or authentication policies affect availability, and test the effect on the identified senders so unrelated mail flows are not disrupted.
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Plan around the current timeline
The October 18, 2024 date belongs to the original notice, not a dependable present-day deadline. Microsoft Learn’s page on Basic authentication deprecation in Exchange Online directs readers to a newer timeline announcement. Use that current announcement to confirm rollout milestones and applicability before scheduling a tenant change; do not rely on dates copied from the earlier post.
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