Navigating PHPMailer without the "Less secure apps" option after May 30, 2022

Question

I've been using PHPMailer for a long time, sending emails using Google credentials (login and password) by enabling the "Less secure apps" option in Google settings.

Google is notifying that after May 30, 2022, Google will not allow the use of "less secure apps" to send emails.

Less secure apps and your Google Account

Is there another way to send emails using Gmail SMTP from PHPMailer without using the "Less Secure Applications" feature?

P粉127901279 · Answer

This method works for me, you can try this:

First go to your Google Account Management, then Security.
Make sure your two-step verification is enabled.
Then go to App Password.
Select Other in the Select App drop-down menu and name it according to your preference.
Then click "Generate" and Google will give you a password. Make sure to copy it and save it somewhere else.
Do not use your real Google Account password in the PHPMailer settings, instead use the password you just generated.

P粉399090746 · Answer

For reference, please visit GitHub:

[https://github.com/shahhussain305/esdn_classes][1]
  
  /*
  To use this new method of PHPMailer follow the following steps on 
  ubuntu:
Step 1: Install Composer
    $   sudo apt update
        sudo apt install php-cli unzip
    $   cd ~
    $   curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer -o /tmp/composer-setup.php
    $   HASH=`curl -sS https://composer.github.io/installer.sig`
    $   php -r "if (hash_file('SHA384', '/tmp/composer-setup.php') === '$HASH') { echo 'Installer verified'; } else { echo 'Installer corrupt'; unlink('composer-setup.php'); } echo PHP_EOL;"
        Output: Installer verified
    **Note**: If the output says Installer corrupt, you’ll need to repeat the download and verification process until you have a verified installer.
*   The following command will download and install Composer as a system-wide command named composer, under /usr/local/bin:
$   sudo php /tmp/composer-setup.php --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer
Output
All settings correct for using Composer
Downloading...
Composer (version 2.3.5) successfully installed to: /usr/local/bin/composer
Use it: php /usr/local/bin/composer
To test your installation, run:
$   composer

Step 2: Go to the website root directory and run the following command

$   composer require phpmailer/phpmailer
*/ 

ini_set('display_errors', 1);
ini_set('display_startup_errors', 1);
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer;
use PHPMailer\PHPMailer\SMTP;

class Communicator{ 
    /* to send emails from your registered domain / hosting email server
    private $host = "smtp.hostinger.com";
    private $userName="no-reply@example.com";
    private $robots = array(
                        'no-reply@example.com',
                        'no-reply1@example.com',
                        'no-reply2@example.com',
                        'no-reply3@example.com',
                        'no-reply4@example.com');
    private $password="jashdf &_isdf807%^$^sdf;_sdf*)465";
    public $from_email='no-reply@example.com';
    */
    //----------Send Email From GMAIL SMTP Server -----------------//
    /*
     To activate sending emails from gmail, please do the following:
     1- login to your gmail account and go to the manage accounts (Top right under the user name logo)
     2- click on the security (left side menus)
     3- Activate the two step varification
     4- under the two step varification, click on the app password, click on the first dropdwon and select Custom name and Type any name like PHPMailer etc
     */
    private $host = "smtp.gmail.com";
    private $userName="abcd1@gmail.com";
    private $password="ywhstefdirkdfhen";
    private $robots = array(
                        array('abcd1@gmail.com','ywhstefdirkdfhen'),
                        array('abcd2@gmail.com','oejrgdbeygswjhdo'),
                        array('abcd3@gmail.com','poswkfhrusnfhwlv'),
                        array('abcd4@gmail.com','tgfdeswavfgdertk'),
                        array('abcd5@gmail.com','polkhytrdwesaqzx'),
                        array('abcd6@gmail.com','okljuhbgtrdfcxse')
                        );

    public $from_email='abcd1@gmail.com';
    //------------------------------------------------------//
    public $replyTo="abcd1@gmail.com";
    var $tempVar;
    public $from_name = 'NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION';
    public $charSet = "CharSet = 'UTF-8'";
    public $charSetOpt = 0;
    //function to send email simple and with attachements
    
  public function sendEmail($to,$from,$sender_name="",$subject,$body,$attachement_path="",$cc="",$bcc=""){ 
        require '../../../../vendor/autoload.php';      
        $mail = new PHPMailer;
        $mail->IsSMTP();            // set mailer to use SMTP i.e. 
        smtp1.example.com;smtp2.example.com
        $mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_SMTPS;
        $mail->SMTPDebug = SMTP::DEBUG_SERVER;
        $mail->Host = $this->host;  // specify main and backup server
        $mail->SMTPAuth = true;     // turn on SMTP authentication
        $mail->Username = $this->userName;  // SMTP username i.e email id of an email address
        $mail->Password = $this->password; // SMTP password for the specified email address         
        $mail->Port = 587;
        $mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
                    if($this->charSetOpt != 0){
                       $mail->CharSet = $this->charSet;
                    }
        $mail->From = $from;
        $mail->FromName = $sender_name;
        $mail->addAddress($to);   //mail,name
        if(isset($cc) && !empty($cc)){
            $mail->addBCC($bcc);
            }
        if(isset($cc) && !empty($cc)){
            $mail->addCC($cc);
            }
        $mail->addReplyTo($this->replyTo);//to, name            
        $mail->WordWrap = 50; 
        if(isset($attachement_path) && !empty($attachement_path)){                                
        // set word wrap to 50 characters
        $mail->AddAttachment($attachement_path);  // add attachments
                }
        $mail->isHTML(true);      // set email format to HTML           
        $mail->Subject = $subject;
        $mail->Body = $body;
        //$mail->AltBody = "This is the body in plain text for non-HTML mail clients";          
        if(!$mail->send()){
            $this->tempVar = $mail->ErrorInfo;
           return false;
            }
        else{
            return true;
            }
        }
      //for multiple recipients                
      public function sendEmails($to=array(),$from,$sender_name="",$subject,$body,$attachement_path="",$cc="",$bcc=""){
        require '../../../../vendor/autoload.php';              
        $mail = new PHPMailer;
        $mail->IsSMTP();            // set mailer to use SMTP i.e. 
        smtp1.example.com;smtp2.example.com
        $mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_SMTPS;
        $mail->SMTPDebug = SMTP::DEBUG_SERVER;
        $mail->Host = $this->host;  // specify main and backup server
        $mail->SMTPAuth = true;     // turn on SMTP authentication
        $mail->Username = $this->userName;  // SMTP username i.e email id of an email address
        $mail->Password = $this->password; // SMTP password for the specified email address
        $mail->Port = 587;
        $mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
                    if($this->charSetOpt != 0){
                       $mail->CharSet = $this->charSet;
                    }
        $mail->From = $from;
        $mail->FromName = $sender_name;
        //$mail->addAddress($to[0]);   //mail,name
        foreach($to as $value){
            $mail->addAddress($value); 
            }
        if(isset($bcc) && !empty($bcc)){
            $mail->addBCC($bcc);
            }
        if(isset($cc) && !empty($cc)){
                $mail->addCC($cc);
            }
        //$mail->AddAddress("ellen@example.com");  // name is optional
        $mail->addReplyTo($this->replyTo);//to, name            
        $mail->WordWrap = 50; 
        if(isset($attachement_path) && !empty($attachement_path)){                                
        // set word wrap to 50 characters
                $mail->AddAttachment($attachement_path);         // add attachments
                //$mail->AddAttachment("/tmp/image.jpg", "new.jpg");    
        // optional name
                }
        $mail->isHTML(true);    // set email format to HTML         
        $mail->Subject = $subject;
        $mail->Body = $body;
        //$mail->AltBody = "This is the body in plain text for non-HTML mail clients";          
        if(!$mail->send()){
            $this->tempVar = $mail->ErrorInfo;
            return false;
            }
        else{
            return true;
            }
        }

       //for multiple/single recipient(s) and from random robots
       public function sendEmailRnd($to=array(),$sender_name="",$subject,$body,$attachement_path="",$cc="",$bcc=""){ 
        $this->get_email_user($this->robots);
        require '../../../../vendor/autoload.php';              
        $mail = new PHPMailer;
        $mail->IsSMTP();            // set mailer to use SMTP i.e. 
        smtp1.example.com;smtp2.example.com
        $mail->SMTPSecure = PHPMailer::ENCRYPTION_SMTPS;
        //$mail->SMTPDebug = SMTP::DEBUG_SERVER;
        $mail->Host = $this->host;  // specify main and backup server
        $mail->SMTPAuth = true;     // turn on SMTP authentication
        $mail->Username = $this->userName;  // SMTP username i.e email id of an email address
        $mail->Password = $this->password; // SMTP password for the specified email address
        $mail->Port = 587;
        $mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls';
                    if($this->charSetOpt != 0){
                       $mail->CharSet = $this->charSet;
                    }
        $mail->From = $this->userName;
        $mail->FromName = $sender_name;
        //$mail->addAddress($to[0]);   //mail,name
        foreach($to as $value){
            $mail->addAddress($value); 
            }
        if(isset($bcc) && !empty($bcc)){
            $mail->addBCC($bcc);
            }
        if(isset($cc) && !empty($cc)){
                $mail->addCC($cc);
            }
        //$mail->AddAddress("ellen@example.com");                  // name is optional
        $mail->addReplyTo($this->replyTo);//to, name            
        $mail->WordWrap = 50; 
        if(isset($attachement_path) && !empty($attachement_path)){                                
        // set word wrap to 50 characters
                $mail->AddAttachment($attachement_path); // add attachments
        //$mail->AddAttachment("/tmp/image.jpg", "new.jpg"); // optional name
                }
        $mail->isHTML(true);  // set email format to HTML           
        $mail->Subject = $subject;
        $mail->Body = $body;
        //$mail->AltBody = "This is the body in plain text for non-HTML mail clients";          
        if(!$mail->send()){
            $this->tempVar = $mail->ErrorInfo;
            return false;
            }
        else{
            return true;
            $this->tempVar = $from;
            }
            $mail->smtpClose();
        }                       
    private function get_email_user($robots_array=array()){
        try{
            if(is_array($robots_array) && count($robots_array) > 0){
                //get random user id with password from the $robots array
                $sender_robot_ary = $this->robots[array_rand($this->robots,1)];
                $this->userName = $sender_robot_ary[0];
                $this->password = $sender_robot_ary[1];
            }
        }catch(Exception $exc){
            $this->tempVar = $exc;
            }
        }
 
}