SMTP connect() failed PHPmailer - PHP

You need to add the Host parameter

$mail->Host = "ssl://smtp.gmail.com"; 

Also, check if you have open_ssl enabled.

<?php
echo !extension_loaded('openssl')?"Not Available":"Available";

Solved an almost identical problem, by adding these lines to the standard PHPMailer configuration. Works like a charm.

$mail->SMTPKeepAlive = true;   
$mail->Mailer = “smtp”; // don't change the quotes!

Came across this code (from Simon Chen) while researching a solution here, https://webolio.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/phpmailer-and-smtp-on-1and1-shared-hosting/#comment-89

The solution of this problem is really very simple. actually Google start using a new authorization mechanism for its User.. you might have seen another line in debug console prompting you to log into your account using any browser.! this is because of new XOAUTH2 authentication mechanism which google start using since 2014. remember.. do not use the ssl over port 465, instead go for tls over 587. this is just because of XOAUTH2 authentication mechanism. if you use ssl over 465, your request will be bounced back.

what you really need to do is .. log into your google account and open up following address https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps and check turn on . you have to do this for letting you to connect with the google SMTP because according to new authentication mechanism google bounce back all the requests from all those applications which does not follow any standard encryption technique.. after checking turn on.. you are good to go.. here is the code which worked fine for me..

require_once 'C:\xampp\htdocs\email\vendor\autoload.php';

define ('GUSER','[email protected]');
define ('GPWD','your password');


// make a separate file and include this file in that. call this function in that file.

function smtpmailer($to, $from, $from_name, $subject, $body) { 
    global $error;
    $mail = new PHPMailer();  // create a new object
    $mail->IsSMTP(); // enable SMTP
    $mail->SMTPDebug = 2;  // debugging: 1 = errors and messages, 2 = messages only
    $mail->SMTPAuth = true;  // authentication enabled
    $mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls'; // secure transfer enabled REQUIRED for GMail
    $mail->SMTPAutoTLS = false;
    $mail->Host = 'smtp.gmail.com';
    $mail->Port = 587;

    $mail->Username = GUSER;  
    $mail->Password = GPWD;           
    $mail->SetFrom($from, $from_name);
    $mail->Subject = $subject;
    $mail->Body = $body;
    $mail->AddAddress($to);
    if(!$mail->Send()) {
        $error = 'Mail error: '.$mail->ErrorInfo; 
        return false;
    } else {
        $error = 'Message sent!';
        return true;
    }
}