Why can't our copier or scanner send email?

How do I get scan-to-email working again?

1. Read the error on the copier. Note the exact words, or look in the device’s job log or send history. Words like “authentication”, “login” or “password” point to step 2. Words like “TLS”, “SSL” or “connection” point to step 3.
2. Check the saved password. If the mailbox the copier sends from had its password changed, the copier is still using the old one. Update it in the device’s email or SMTP settings, usually in its web settings page. Microsoft notes the device signs in with the mailbox’s own sign-in details, so a password change breaks it. See how to reset an email password.
3. Check the device’s age and firmware. Microsoft requires devices sending through Microsoft 365 to support TLS 1.2 or later. Google says some older printers or scanners “might not support OAuth,” the sign-in method Google Workspace now requires. A firmware update from the copier’s maker sometimes adds support. If not, a relay is the usual answer.
4. Check the server settings. The outgoing server name, the From address and the sign-in details must match your email service. A copier set up years ago may still point at an old provider. Not sure which service you’re on? See E-3 email: start here.
5. Send a test scan to an address outside your company, such as a personal Gmail.
   • Expected result: the scan arrives within a few minutes. If it lands in junk, see why good emails land in junk.

The short version

• Did anyone change the email password the copier uses? That’s the most common cause.
• Older copiers may not support today’s encryption or sign-in. On E-3 email, E-3 can set up an SMTP relay for you.

What is an SMTP relay, and when do I need one?

A copier, scanner or business program creates email but isn’t an email server, so it hands each message to one. An SMTP relay is a mail server set up to accept those messages from your device and send them on. Microsoft and Google both describe a relay as an option for printers and scanners, and Google calls it the most secure of its three options.

For E-3 email, E-3 can set up an SMTP relay so your copier or scanner sends through mail.e3webmail.com. E-3 sets up the connection details for you. That way the copier doesn’t need a mailbox password saved in it, and a password change won’t break scanning.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

• Sharing a person’s mailbox with the copier. When that person changes their password or leaves, scanning stops. A relay, or a dedicated sending address, avoids this.
• Turning off security to make an old device work. Don’t. Ask for a relay instead.
• Scans that send but never arrive. The device may be working and the message filtered. Check junk at the receiving end, and see why your emails bounce.
• Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace email. Each has its own options for devices; follow your provider’s guide linked in the sources, or ask whoever runs that account.

What if this didn’t work?

Write down the copier’s make and model, the exact error, and when scanning last worked. Don’t send us the device’s password. Then contact E-3.

How does E-3 handle this?

The usual cause we see is a password change on the mailbox the copier uses. A person at E-3 checks the copier’s error with you, and if it’s an older device or keeps breaking after password changes, we set up an SMTP relay so it sends through mail.e3webmail.com. To get it looked at, call us on 814-399-4655, send the details to support@e3help.me, or fill in the Get support form.

Related questions

• How do I reset my email password or log in to webmail?
• Why can’t I send email, or why do my messages bounce?
• E-3 email (SmarterMail): start here