Scan to email not working with Microsoft 365, or worried it’s about to stop? At the end of December 2026 Microsoft switches off the old sign-in method most office printers use to send scans by email.
If your office printer has started showing an error when you scan to email, or you’ve read that Microsoft is changing how devices send email, you’re in the right place.
Printers that can’t use Microsoft’s newer sign-in method will stop delivering scans by email. Nothing will look broken until someone presses Scan and the email never arrives.
This guide explains what’s changing, how to tell whether your printer is affected and what you can do about it: in plain English for the people who use the printer every day, with the detail your IT team needs.
What Microsoft is changing, and when
Microsoft is retiring Basic authentication for SMTP AUTH (client submission) in Exchange Online, the email service behind Microsoft 365. The current timeline was published by Microsoft’s Exchange team on 27 January 2026, replacing the earlier March to April 2026 dates.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Now to the end of December 2026 | Nothing changes. Printers using a username and password keep working. |
| End of December 2026 | Basic authentication for SMTP AUTH is switched off by default for existing Microsoft 365 tenants. An administrator can still switch it back on. |
| New tenants created after December 2026 | Basic authentication is unavailable by default. OAuth is the supported method. |
| Second half of 2027 | Microsoft will announce the final date when Basic authentication is removed for good, with no switch to turn it back on. |
As of October 2026, Microsoft’s deprecation page still points to the January 2026 timeline as current. Earlier deadlines (September 2025, then March 2026) were postponed, which is why many businesses are unsure what to believe. The end of December 2026 date is the one to plan for.
When Basic authentication is refused, Microsoft returns this error to the device:
550 5.7.30 Basic authentication is not supported for Client Submission.
Why your printer stops scanning to email (in plain English)
When you scan to email, the printer doesn’t send the email itself. It logs in to your Microsoft 365 email account and asks Microsoft to send it.
Most office printers were set up years ago to log in the old way: a stored username and password, typed into the printer once and forgotten. Microsoft calls this Basic authentication. It’s easy to steal and easy to abuse, which is why Microsoft is shutting it off.
The replacement is called OAuth 2.0, often described as Modern authentication. Instead of a stored password, the printer is given a secure digital key by Microsoft that can be checked and withdrawn. The catch is that the printer’s software has to understand OAuth. Many newer models can be updated to do this. Many older ones can’t, and never will.
For IT teams: this affects client submission to smtp.office365.com on port 587 using AUTH LOGIN or PLAIN. It does not affect IP-based SMTP relay through an inbound connector on port 25. In the Exchange admin center, go to Reports > Mail flow > SMTP AUTH clients report to see which senders still use Basic auth (shown as TlsAuthLogin) and which use OAuth (XOAUTH2).
It isn’t only scanning. The same change can stop internet fax, fax-forward-to-email, scan-to-me and the automatic toner and fault alerts many printers email to your supplier.
What the scan to email error looks like on your printer
The printer rarely says “Microsoft has switched off Basic authentication”. The message is usually vague, and on some machines the scan appears to go and simply never arrives.
| Printer | What you’re likely to see |
|---|---|
| Konica Minolta bizhub | The panel shows “Failed to complete the job. Please check job history.” The job history then lists the scan as “Deleted due to error”, with the detail showing a login error or server connection error. Some older models show an error code instead, such as 107 or 535. |
| Xerox AltaLink, VersaLink and WorkCentre | The scan job shows as failed, often with a confirmation report. Fault codes reported for this problem include 016-764 or 016-781 (unable to connect to the SMTP server) and 027-779 (SMTP authentication failed). |
| Any make | Your IT team will see the server’s reply in the device log or Microsoft’s report: 550 5.7.30 Basic authentication is not supported for Client Submission. |
If scan to email worked yesterday and fails today, with nobody having changed a password, this change is the first thing to check after the end of December 2026.
Is my printer affected?
If your printer scans to email through Microsoft 365 and was set up with a username and password, it is affected. Whether it can be fixed depends on its model and age. Both Konica Minolta and Xerox have published lists of what will and won’t be updated.
Konica Minolta bizhub
| Status | Models (from Konica Minolta’s notice, updated 9 March 2026) |
|---|---|
| OAuth firmware available | Current i-Series, including bizhub C250i/C300i/C360i, C450i/C550i/C650i, C751i, C3320i/C3350i/C4050i, C226i to C287i, 300i/360i, 450i/550i/650i, 750i and the newer “1” models (C251i/C301i/C361i, C451i/C551i/C651i and similar). Firmware F233-G00-T8 or later. |
| OAuth firmware available | The previous “8” series: bizhub C258/C308/C368, C458/C558/C658, C759/C659, 308/368, 458/558, 758/808, C3351/C3851. Firmware F000-GC3-YE. |
| No update planned | bizhub C654e/C754e, 654e, C226/C256/C266, 266/306, 4052/4752, 4050/4750, C3110, 206/216/226/236/246 and the small 165/185 desktop models. |
| No update planned | Older models not on the list at all, such as the e-series (C224e, C284e, C364e, C454e, C554e) and earlier. Konica Minolta says no firmware update is planned for any model not listed. |
Xerox
| Status | Models (from Xerox’s published response, February 2026) |
|---|---|
| OAuth available (Device Code Flow and Client Credentials Flow) | AltaLink B8145/B8155/B8170, C8130 to C8170, B8245/B8255/B8270, C8230 to C8270. VersaLink B415/C415, B620/C620, B625/C625. |
| OAuth available (Device Code Flow only) | VersaLink B405/C405, C505, C605, B7025/B7030/B7035, C7020/C7025/C7030, B7125 to B7135, C7120 to C7130. PrimeLink C9065/C9070, C9265/C9275/C9281 and B9100 series. WorkCentre 6515. |
| Not on Xerox’s list | Older AltaLink models (B8045 to B8090, C8030 to C8070), WorkCentre 5300, 5800, 7200, 7800 and 7900 series and other earlier machines. If your model isn’t listed, assume it won’t get OAuth and plan an alternative. |
Even where an update exists, it doesn’t install itself. The printer needs the new firmware, then OAuth has to be set up on each machine, signed in to a Microsoft account and tested. Konica Minolta notes the sign-in token can only be obtained at the printer’s own panel on many models.
Your options to keep scan to email working
There’s no single fix. The right answer depends on your printer, your network and who your scans go to.
| Option | What it means | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Update to OAuth | New firmware, then the printer signs in to Microsoft with a secure token instead of a password | Konica Minolta and Xerox models on the supported lists | Must be set up on each machine; the sign-in account needs Authenticated SMTP enabled in Microsoft 365 |
| 2. SMTP relay through a Microsoft 365 connector | The printer sends to Microsoft without a password; Microsoft trusts it because of your office’s fixed IP address | Older printers with no OAuth update, sending to people inside and outside the business | Needs a static public IP, port 25 open outbound and correct SPF records; a job for your IT team |
| 3. Direct Send or High Volume Email | Unauthenticated or app-based sending to your own mailboxes | Scans that only ever go to colleagues | Can’t send to customers or suppliers; Microsoft is tightening Direct Send |
| 4. Scan somewhere else | Scan to a network folder, OneDrive, SharePoint or a cloud scanning app instead of email | Offices happy to change habits | Staff need to know where scans now land |
| 5. Replace the printer | Move to a current model that supports OAuth out of the box | Older machines with no update path, or at the end of their lease | Cost, unless timed with a lease renewal |
For most small offices with a printer under five or six years old, option 1 is the cleanest fix. For older machines, option 2 buys time, but it’s worth weighing against the cost of a supported machine that will keep working when Microsoft finally removes Basic authentication for good. Our guide to buying, leasing or renting an office printer explains how those costs are built up.
Can’t we just switch Basic authentication back on?
For now, yes. After the end of December 2026 an administrator can re-enable Basic authentication for SMTP AUTH, for the whole tenant or for a single mailbox. That will get a stranded printer scanning again.
Treat it as a stop-gap, not a fix:
- Microsoft has said it will announce a final removal date in the second half of 2027. After that there’s no switch.
- It leaves a password stored in your printer that could be used to send email as your business, the very risk Microsoft is closing.
- It can count against you on security questionnaires, cyber insurance renewals and security audits.
- Every month it stays on is a month closer to a second, permanent outage.
Checklist: what to do before the end of December 2026
For IT managers
- Run the SMTP AUTH clients report in the Exchange admin center and list every printer, scanner and app still using Basic auth
- Match each sender to a device: make, model, location and firmware version
- Check each model against the Konica Minolta and Xerox lists above
- Book firmware updates and OAuth setup for supported models
- Choose a fallback (SMTP relay, scan to folder or replacement) for unsupported models
- Don’t forget toner, meter and fault alerts that the printer emails out
- Test every device and keep a note of the account each one now uses
For office managers and the people who scan every day
- Note the make and model on the front of your printer
- Ask who looks after it: your IT provider, your printer supplier, or both
- Ask them directly: “Will our scan to email still work in January?”
- If you rely on scanning for invoices, contracts or HR paperwork, agree a backup (scan to a shared folder) now
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft turning off scan to email?
No. Microsoft is turning off the old username-and-password sign-in. Scan to email keeps working on printers that use OAuth or an SMTP relay.
When exactly will my printer stop scanning to email?
Microsoft says Basic authentication for SMTP AUTH will be disabled by default for existing tenants at the end of December 2026. It hasn’t published an exact day, so plan to be ready before Christmas.
Why is scan to email not working with Microsoft 365 on my older printer?
If it worked before and has stopped without anyone changing a password, the most likely cause is that Basic authentication has been switched off for your Microsoft 365 tenant and your printer can’t use OAuth.
Does this affect Gmail or other email providers?
No, this change is Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online only. Google stopped password-only sign-ins for most apps in 2025.
Will an app password fix it?
No. App passwords are still Basic authentication and will be refused in the same way.
My printer is new. Am I safe?
Probably, but not automatically. Many recent machines still ship set up with a username and password. They need the latest firmware and OAuth switched on.
My printer is on a lease. Who pays to fix it?
Check your service agreement. Firmware updates are often included; network changes and setup time may not be. Talk to your supplier now rather than in January.
What does 550 5.7.30 mean?
It’s Microsoft’s reply when a device tries to send email using Basic authentication after it has been switched off.
Get a free scan to email check from Scriptum
Scriptum Document Solutions supplies and services Konica Minolta and Xerox printers for offices across London and the UK. Tell us the make and model of your printer and we’ll tell you, free of charge:
- whether it will keep scanning to email after the end of December 2026
- whether a firmware update and OAuth setup will fix it
- the most sensible alternative if it can’t be updated
If you’d like the bigger picture, we can include it in our free print audit: a 30-day review of your printer usage, contracts and running costs with a like-for-like comparison.
Call 0800 011 2858, email interface@scriptumds.co.uk, WhatsApp us on +44 7761 021857, or fill in the form below.
Get a free scan-to-email check
Tell us your printer make and model and we’ll tell you whether it will keep scanning to email after Microsoft’s change, whether it can be updated, and the best option if it can’t. Prefer to talk? Call 0800 011 2858.
Sources: Microsoft Exchange Team, updated SMTP AUTH timeline (27 Jan 2026); Microsoft Learn; Konica Minolta OAuth 2.0 notice (9 Mar 2026); Xerox response to the Basic authentication phase-out; Xerox fault code 027-779. Information checked 2 November 2026.
