You change your email password in Settings, not in the Mail app
Your email password lives in your iPhone's Settings, not in the Mail app itself. When you change your password on a computer or through your email provider's website, your iPhone does not automatically know about it — you have to tell the phone the new password manually. This takes about two minutes and prevents your email from getting stuck in a loop trying to log in with the old password.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use iCloud Mail, Gmail, Outlook, or another provider, but the principle is the same: go to Settings, find Passwords & Accounts (or Mail on older iPhones), select your email account, and enter the new password.
Key Takeaways
- Changing your email password on your email provider's website does not automatically update it on your iPhone — you must do that manually in Settings.
- Go to Settings, then Passwords & Accounts (or Mail on older iPhones), tap your email account, and select Edit to enter your new password.
- If your iPhone shows a red exclamation mark next to your email account, it means the stored password is wrong and needs updating when ready.
- After you enter the new password, your iPhone will verify it and resume syncing your email within a few seconds.
Steps to update your password in Settings
Open Settings on your iPhone and scroll down to find Passwords & Accounts. On iPhones running iOS 15 or older, this section is called Mail instead. Tap it.
You will see a list of all email accounts connected to your iPhone. Find the one you changed the password for and tap it. A screen will appear showing your account details — email address, password field, and other settings. Tap Edit in the top right corner.
The password field will become editable. Delete the old password and type in your new one. Make sure you type it exactly as you set it on your email provider's website — spaces, capital letters, and special characters all matter. Tap Save when you are done.
Your iPhone will connect to your email provider's server to verify the new password. This usually takes a few seconds. If the password is correct, the account will show a green checkmark and your email will start syncing again. If it is wrong, you will see an error message — go back and check that you typed it correctly.
What to do if you see a red exclamation mark
A red exclamation mark next to your email account in Settings means your iPhone tried to log in and failed. This usually happens because you changed your password somewhere else and did not update it on the phone. It can also happen if your email provider locked your account due to suspicious activity, or if you enabled two-factor authentication without updating your phone's settings.
Follow the steps above to enter your new password. If you recently turned on two-factor authentication, you may need to generate an app password instead of using your regular password — Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud all require this. Check your email provider's security settings to see if an app password was created for you, and use that instead.
If the error persists after you enter the correct password, try signing out of the account entirely and signing back in. Go to Settings, tap your email account, scroll to the bottom, and tap Delete Account. Then go back to Passwords & Accounts, tap Add Account, choose your email provider, and sign in with your new password from scratch.
How to change your password on Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud
Your iPhone cannot change your email password directly — you must change it through your email provider first, then update it on your phone. Each provider has a different process.
For Gmail, go to myaccount.google.com on a computer or web browser, click Security on the left, find Password, and click Change Password. You will need to sign in again and answer a security question. For Outlook, go to account.microsoft.com, click Security, select Change Password, and follow the prompts. For iCloud Mail, go to appleid.apple.com, click Security, select Change Password, and verify with your trusted device or phone number.
After you change your password on the website, come back to your iPhone and update it in Settings using the steps above. Do this within a few hours — the longer you wait, the more likely your phone will lock the account due to repeated failed login attempts.
Why your iPhone stores your email password
Your iPhone stores your email password so it can check for new messages in the background without asking you to log in every time. This is called IMAP or POP3 authentication, depending on your email provider. The password is encrypted on your phone and never sent to Apple — it goes directly to your email provider's server.
If you are worried about security, you can delete the account from your iPhone entirely and use only the Mail app's web version instead. However, this means you will not get push notifications for new email, and you will have to open the app manually to check messages. For most people, keeping the password stored on the phone is the safer choice because it prevents you from forgetting it and getting locked out.
What happens if you forget your new password
If you changed your email password and now cannot remember it, you will need to reset it through your email provider's website. Go to the login page for Gmail, Outlook, or iCloud and click Forgot password. You will be asked to verify your identity using a recovery email address, a phone number, or security questions you set up earlier.
Once you reset your password, write it down or save it in a password manager like iCloud Keychain or 1Password before you enter it on your iPhone. This prevents you from having to reset it again if you forget it a second time. After you have the new password, follow the steps above to update it in Settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to change my password on my iPhone if I changed it on my computer?
Yes. Changing your password on your email provider's website does not automatically update it on your iPhone. You must manually enter the new password in Settings, or your iPhone will keep trying to log in with the old password and eventually lock the account.
What does the red exclamation mark mean next to my email account?
It means your iPhone tried to log in and the password was rejected. This usually happens because you changed your password elsewhere and did not update it on the phone. Go to Settings, tap your email account, tap Edit, and enter your new password.
Can I change my email password directly from the Mail app?
No. The Mail app only lets you read and send messages. To change your password, you must go to your email provider's website (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, etc.) on a computer or web browser, change it there, and then update it on your iPhone in Settings.
What is an app password and do I need one?
An app password is a separate password that Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud create for you if you turn on two-factor authentication. Your iPhone cannot use your regular password if two-factor is on — you must use the app password instead. Check your email provider's security settings to see if one was created for you.
Will changing my password on my iPhone change it everywhere else?
No. Changing your password in iPhone Settings only updates it on that phone. Your password on your computer, tablet, or other devices stays the same. You must update each device separately, or change the password on your email provider's website first and then update all your devices.