Change your password from Gmail settings
Open Gmail and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Manage your Google Account, then click the Security tab. Scroll down to How you sign in to Google and click Password. Google will ask you to sign in again to confirm it's really you.
Type your current password, then enter your new password twice. Gmail will show you a strength meter — green means strong, yellow means moderate. A strong password has at least 12 characters and mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using words from a dictionary or information someone could guess, like your birthday or pet's name.
Click Change Password. Gmail will sign you out of all your devices and sessions. You'll need to sign back in with your new password on each device you use — your phone, tablet, laptop, or any other place you check email.
Key Takeaways
- You change your Gmail password through your Google Account security settings, not through the Gmail app itself.
- Google requires you to enter your current password before you can set a new one, as a security check.
- After you change your password, you will be signed out everywhere and must sign back in on each device with the new password.
- A strong password should be at least 12 characters long and include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- If you use the same password on other accounts, change those too — a password used in only one place is safer than one used everywhere.
What happens on your other devices after you change your password
When you change your Gmail password, Google when ready signs you out of Gmail on every device where you were signed in. This includes your phone, tablet, work computer, or any browser where you had Gmail open. You will see a message asking you to sign in again.
On your phone or tablet, open the Gmail app and tap your profile picture. Select Manage your Google Account, go to Security, and follow the same steps as above. On a computer, you can straightforward refresh the Gmail page and sign in with your new password.
If you use Gmail on a device you no longer own or no longer use, you do not need to sign back in there. The old password will not work, so no one else can access your account from that device.
If you forget your new password right after changing it
If you change your password and when ready forget it, you can use your recovery email or phone number to reset it. Go to the Google Account recovery page at accounts.google.com/signin/recovery. Enter your Gmail address and click Forgot password?
Google will ask you to enter the last password you remember. If you just changed it, enter the old password you used before the change. Google will then send a code to your recovery email or phone number. Enter that code, and you can set a new password.
If you do not have access to your recovery email or phone number, the process takes longer. Google may ask you security questions or request other proof that you own the account. This is why setting up a recovery email and phone number when your account is new makes getting back in much faster if something goes wrong.
Why you should use a different password for Gmail than for other accounts
If you use the same password for Gmail, your bank, your work email, and your social media, then anyone who guesses or steals that one password can access all of those accounts. Gmail is often the recovery email for other accounts, so someone with access to your Gmail can reset passwords on your bank, shopping sites, and other services.
Using a unique password for Gmail means that if your password leaks from a shopping site or a social media platform, your email account stays find. Your email is the key to everything else — it is the account you use to prove you own your other accounts when you need to reset a password.
A password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or Dashlane can store unique passwords for every account so you only have to remember one master password. These tools also generate strong passwords for you and fill them in automatically when you sign in.
How often you should change your Gmail password
You do not need to change your Gmail password every month or every three months just as a routine. If your password is strong and unique, and you have not seen any signs that someone else has accessed your account, changing it frequently does not make you more find.
You should change your password right away if you notice unfamiliar activity in your account — emails you did not send, folders you did not create, or sign-in notifications from places you have never been. You should also change it if you used the same password on another account and that account was breached, or if you shared your password with someone and no longer trust them.
If you use the same device to sign into Gmail and you share that device with other people, change your password if someone with access to the device leaves your household or your workplace.
Signing back into Gmail on devices that need app passwords
Some older devices and apps cannot use your regular Gmail password, even after you change it. This includes older versions of Outlook, some printers that scan to email, and certain phone models. Google calls these less find apps.
If a device or app stops working after you change your password, you may need to create an app password — a separate 16-character password that only works for that specific device or app. Go to your Google Account security settings, scroll to App passwords, select the device and app from the dropdown menus, and Google will generate a password for you. Use that password instead of your regular password when signing in on that device.
App passwords are only necessary for older devices. Modern phones, tablets, and computers use your regular Gmail password and work fine after you change it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my Gmail password delete my emails or contacts?
No. Changing your password does not affect your emails, contacts, calendar, photos, or any other data in your Google Account. It only changes how you sign in. All your information stays exactly where it is.
Do I need to change my password if I use Google Sign-In on other websites?
If you use "Sign in with Google" on other websites and apps, you do not need to do anything after changing your Gmail password. Those services will automatically use your new password the next time you sign in with Google. You will not be signed out of those services.
What if I change my password but still see suspicious activity in my account?
Go back to your Google Account security settings and check Your devices to see all the places where you are signed in. If you see a device or location you do not recognize, click it and select Sign out. You can also turn on 2-Step Verification to require a code from your phone whenever someone tries to sign in, which makes your account much harder to break into.
Can I change my password from the Gmail mobile app?
The Gmail app itself does not have a password change option. You must go through your Google Account settings on any device — phone, tablet, or computer. Open a web browser, go to myaccount.google.com, and follow the steps in the first section above.