---
title: "TextLink - Configure Google to Work with TextLink"
canonical: "https://support.crosslinktax.com/space/CSC/1869295171/TextLink%20-%20Configure%20Google%20to%20Work%20with%20TextLink"
format: markdown
---
> ℹ️ This article demonstrates how to configure Google to allow emails and text messages to be sent from within the CrossLink 1040 desktop software.
> ℹ️
> ℹ️ Google needs to be configured to allow CrossLink 1040 to send emails and text messages. First, you will need to configure **Allow Less Secure Apps**. If that does not work, you will need to configure **2 Step Verification**.
> 📝 *Errors you may see when the configuration is incorrect.*
---
**Follow the instructions below to successfully configure Google to work with TextLink:**
**Configuring Allow Less Secure Apps**
In order to use **Allow** **Less Secure Apps, 2 Step Verification **must be disabled. Otherwise, you will not see the option to **Allow** **Less Secure Apps**. If the **2-Step Verification** is enabled for your Google account, skip to **Method 2** instead.
**Method 1: Allow Less Secure Apps**
**For Corporate account:**
1. Open a browser and login into your Google corporate account.
2. In another tab navigate to [http://admin.google.com/](http://admin.google.com/)
3. Click **Security *****Manage Security features****.*
4. Click **Basic Settings**.
5. Scroll down to the **Less secure apps section** and click ***Go to settings for less secure apps****.*
6. Select ***Allow users to manage their access to less secure apps****.*
7. Click **Save**.
> 📝 *You should be able to activate the allow less secure apps from within the My Account settings.*
**For Standard accounts:**
1. Verify the **Email Address** and **Password** are correct in the **Setup **>** Office Setup **>** TextMsg/Email **menu.
2. For Crosslink 2021 and above, make sure the **Server URL** is set to **smtp.gmail.com** and the **Server Port** is set to **587**. For Crosslink 2020 and below, these fields can be left blank.
3. Open an internet browser and navigate to [http://accounts.google.com/DisplayUnlockCaptcha](http://accounts.google.com/DisplayUnlockCaptcha) in order to disable the additional Google block and click **continue**.
4. Navigate to [https://myaccount.google.com/](https://myaccount.google.com/).
5. Log in to the Gmail account.
6. Click on the **profile icon **(top right corner).
7. Click on **Manage your Google Account**.
8. Click **Security**.
9. Click **Turn on access** in the **Less secure app access** section.
10. Toggle the switch to **ON**.
11. Go back to the software and send another email or text. You should see the following dialog box indicating that the email or message was sent successfully.
> 📝 *For Crosslink 2021 and above, you will need to send an email to see if TextLink is functioning since text messages were not sent from Google. If you do not receive the email or message above and TextLink is still not functioning, please proceed to ****Method 2 Configure Google 2-Step Verification****.*
**Method 2 Configure Google 2 Step Verification**
1. Click** Security**.
2. Click** 2-Step Verification**.
3. Click **Get Started**.
4. Enter your **phone number** and select **Text Message**, then click **Next **(this will send a verification code to the phone number provided).
5. Enter the **code**, then click **Next**.
6. Click **Turn On**.
7. Click the **back arrow** next to 2-Step Verification.
8. Click **App Passwords**.
9. Select **Other (custom name)** from the **Select App** drop-down menu.
10. Choose a name (*i.e. tax software*), and click **Generate**.
11. Copy the **app password**.
12. Open CrossLink 1040 and login.
13. Click **Setup** > **Office Setup**.
14. Click **TextMsg/Email** from the list of tabs.
15. Enter/Paste the **app password** in the **Password** field.
16. Send another email or text to confirm the configuration was successful.