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How to access Exchange email from macOS through ActiveSync

DominikHoffmann

DominikHoffmann

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 15, 2007
537
530
Indiana
I have an email account accessible only through my iPhone. The account is hosted by an Exchange server and can be accessed only through Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), but not through Exchange Web Services (EWS). I would very much like to have that email account displayed right there with my other ones in Mail.

Is there some way that a hack could be used to get that accomplished?
 
I think you just open Mail preferences, choose Accounts, and then select Add (the plus sign). At least that's how I added my Exchange account.
 
That will not work. The reason is that iOS uses EAS, and macOS uses EWS. The exchange server is configured to disallow EWS access, which means that Apple mail on macOS is locked out.

That is why I’m looking for some sort of a bridge between the two protocols that would run on my end. I do not have access to any configurations on that Exchange server.
 
Disabling EWS even locks out Outlook. Exchange ActiveSync will only work on mobile devices, tablets and Outlook 2013. To use an Exchange account with Mac Mail, you'll actually need Exchange Web Services.
 
I'm thinking Thunderbird has an EAS plugin or something. Maybe someone with knowledge can enlighten us.

EDIT: Is there an IMAP access option? I use that for my Exchange account on my iPhone so that I can move mail between accounts but would work in Mail macOS.
 
Last edited:
EAS is a licensed protocol. Microsoft will only license it for use on mobile devices. I have found Python code on GitHub (https://github.com/ghiewa/py-eas-client) that purports to be an EAS client, but it is almost a decade old and obviously not actively maintained. I am getting more and more convinced that what I want to do is just not possible.
 
I have looked for a while as well, but with no solution yet. Besides mail, I would love for my iOS calendar events to sync to my work Mac, but that's a no-go as well with the account that uses EAS. I'll still keep looking, and check back here.
 
Would love some help with BlueMail Exchange using ActiveSync EAS. Trying to add a work Gmail account that allows EAS but seems to fail connection to server. Just to confirm: server is m.google.com ? Or is different from iOS config?
And for account with 2-factor authentication, I should create an "app password" rather than using my real password that requires 2-factor?
 
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