Photos for macOS has several built-in options to link into photo sharing and social networking sites, including Flickr and Facebook. There’s a plug-in architecture that allows third parties to add more. However, when the built-in ones fail, it’s hard to know who to point to for help.
Macworld reader J.M. wrote in with a problem that just started happened at the end of May. When trying to upload a picture via macOS Photos to Facebook, an error notification appears:
Facebook Password Required. Enter your password for “account name” in Internet Accounts.
IDGA new account validation bug seems to prevent Mac users from uploading images to Facebook via Photos.
J.M. deleted their Facebook entry in the Internet Accounts system preference pane, restarted their Mac, and reinstalled their Facebook credentials to no avail. (This is good troubleshooting, too. I’d start with just removing the account before restarting to see if it’s that simple.)
Checking Apple’s forums, J.M. isn’t alone. Around the end of May, a number of Mac users had the same failure, with Facebook not recognizing passwords. This seems coincident with Facebook updating its two-factor authentication to allow use without a phone number.
If you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled on Facebook, the company requires you to create app-specific passwords to connect to Facebook’s system unless you’re logging in directly to a Facebook service. Users in the above forum have found that with 2FA disabled or with it enabled and using an app-specific password, they cannot get the Facebook upload to work.
I’ve contacted Facebook to see if the company has any additional technical steps users can take or will acknowledge this as a bug it needs to fix.
Ask Mac 911
We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com including screen captures as appropriate, and whether you want your full name used. Every question won’t be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.
Author: Glenn Fleishman, Senior Contributor
Glenn Fleishman’s most recent books include Take Control of iOS and iPadOS Privacy and Security, Take Control of Calendar and Reminders, and Take Control of Securing Your Mac. In his spare time, he writes about printing and type history. He’s a senior contributor to Macworld, where he writes Mac 911.