Change your password from your Google Account settings
Go to myaccount.google.com in any web browser. Sign in if you are not already signed in. On the left side, click Security. Scroll down until you see Password and click it.
Google will ask you to sign in again to confirm it is really you. Enter your current password. Then type your new password twice — once in the first box and once in the second box to make sure you typed it correctly. Click Change Password.
Your new password takes effect when ready. You will be signed out of Google on all your other devices and browsers within a few minutes. You will need to sign in again with your new password on each device you use.
Key Takeaways
- You change your Google password at myaccount.google.com under the Security section, not in Gmail 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 with the new password on each device.
- A strong password has at least 12 characters and mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- If you forget your new password right after changing it, you can reset it using your recovery email or phone number.
What makes a strong password you will actually remember
A strong password is hard for someone else to guess but straightforward enough for you to remember without writing it down. Avoid passwords based on your name, birthday, or common words. Avoid sequences like "123456" or "qwerty".
A good approach is to take a phrase you know well — a line from a song, a place you have been, something from your childhood — and use the first letter of each word, mixed with a number and a symbol. For example, "I got my first dog in 2015!" becomes IgmfdI2015!. You can remember the phrase, but someone guessing cannot.
Write your new password nowhere until you have signed in successfully on at least one device. Once you confirm it works, you can store it in a password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or the password manager built into Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
What to do if you cannot remember your current password
If you cannot sign in to myaccount.google.com because you forgot your current password, you cannot change it from that page — you have to reset it first. Go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and follow the steps to recover your account. You will need access to your recovery email address or recovery phone number.
Once you have reset your password and signed back in, follow the steps in the first section to change it to something new. This time, write down the new password or store it in a password manager before you close the page.
How to sign back in on your phone or tablet after changing your password
After you change your password, apps on your phone or tablet may show an error message saying your password is wrong. This is normal — they are using the old password. You need to sign out and sign back in with the new one.
On an Android phone, go to Settings > Accounts (or Accounts and Backup) > Google > tap your email address > Remove Account. Then go back to Settings and add the account again, entering your new password when prompted.
On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Google > tap your email address > Delete Account. Then go back and add the account again with your new password. If you use Gmail, you can also sign out from within the Gmail app and sign back in there.
Why Google asks you to sign in again after changing your password
When you change your password, Google signs you out of every device and browser where you were signed in. This is a safety feature. If someone else had access to one of your devices or accounts, signing you out everywhere locks them out too.
You will see a notification on each device saying you were signed out for security reasons. This is expected. Sign back in with your new password, and everything will work normally again.
What happens if you change your password by mistake
If you just changed your password and when ready realized you made a typo or chose one you cannot remember, you can change it again right away. Go back to myaccount.google.com, click Security, click Password, sign in with your new password, and change it to a different one.
If you have already signed out and cannot remember the password you just set, go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and use your recovery email or phone number to reset it. Then set a new password you can remember.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to change my password if I think someone else knows it?
Yes. Change it when ready at myaccount.google.com. After you change it, go to myaccount.google.com/security-checkup to see if anyone else has accessed your account recently. If you see sign-ins from places you do not recognize, click them to sign out those sessions.
Will changing my password delete my emails or files?
No. Your password change does not affect your Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, or any other data. It only changes how you sign in. All your files and messages stay exactly where they are.
How often should I change my Google password?
You do not need to change it on a schedule. Change it if you think someone else knows it, if you used the same password on another website that got hacked, or if you have not changed it in several years. Otherwise, a strong password that only you know is fine to keep.
Can I use the same password for multiple accounts?
No. If you use the same password on Gmail and on another website, and that other website gets hacked, someone can use your password to access your Google account too. Use a different strong password for each important account. A password manager makes this easier.
What if I change my password but still cannot sign in?
Clear your browser's cache and cookies, then try again. If you are on a phone, try signing out completely from Settings and signing back in. If you still cannot sign in after trying these steps, go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery to make sure your account is not locked.