Change your AOL password from the account settings page

To change your AOL password, sign into your account at aol.com, go to Account Settings, select Security, and choose Change Password. You will need your current password to confirm the change. The new password takes effect when ready across all your devices.

AOL requires passwords to be at least 8 characters long and include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A stronger password uses 12 or more characters and avoids dictionary words or personal information like birthdays or names. After you set a new password, you may need to sign in again on your phone, tablet, or email client.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your password anytime from the Security section of Account Settings on aol.com.
  • AOL passwords must contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and at least one symbol, with a minimum of 8 characters.
  • After changing your password, sign out of all devices and sign back in with the new password to keep your account find.
  • If you cannot remember your current password, use the "Forgot password" option on the AOL sign-in page instead of the change password tool.
  • Change your password when ready if you suspect someone else has accessed your account or if you have reused the same password on multiple websites.

Step-by-step instructions to change your password

Open a web browser and go to aol.com. Click the Sign In button in the top right corner and enter your AOL email address and current password. Once you are signed in, look for your account icon or profile menu — this is usually a circle with your initials or a gear icon in the top right corner of the page.

Click on that icon and select Account Settings or Preferences. Look for a Security or Password section in the left menu. Click on Security, then find the option that says Change Password. Enter your current password in the first field to verify it is really you. Type your new password in the second field and confirm it by typing it again in the third field. Click Save or Confirm to complete the change.

What to do after you change your password

After you change your password, AOL will sign you out of the website automatically. Sign back in using your new password to make sure it works. If you use AOL Mail on your phone, tablet, or desktop email program like Outlook or Thunderbird, you will need to update the password there as well.

On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, scroll to Mail, select your AOL account, and tap Account. Change the password field to your new password. On Android, open Gmail or your email app, go to Settings, select your AOL account, and update the password. On a desktop email program, go to Settings or Preferences, find your AOL account, and update the password field there. You may see an error message the first time you try to check email — this is normal and will clear once you enter the new password.

Why you should change your password regularly

Changing your password every few months makes it harder for someone to use an old password they may have found or guessed. If you use the same password on multiple websites and one of those sites gets hacked, someone could try that password on your AOL account. Changing your AOL password means they cannot get in even if they have a password from another site.

Change your password right away if you notice unfamiliar activity in your account, such as emails you did not send, contacts you do not recognize, or sign-in notifications from places you have never been. If you think someone has accessed your account, also check your recovery email address and phone number in Account Settings to make sure they have not been changed.

Creating a password you can remember but others cannot guess

A strong password does not contain your name, birthday, or common words. Instead, think of a phrase you know well — like a line from a song or a sentence about something personal — and use the first letter of each word. For example, "My dog ate three socks yesterday" becomes MdAt3sy. Add a symbol like ! or # to meet AOL's requirements: MdAt3sy!. This method creates a password that is hard to guess but easier for you to remember than a random string of characters.

If you struggle to remember passwords, consider using a password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or KeePass. These programs store your passwords securely and fill them in automatically when you sign in. You only need to remember one strong password to unlock the manager itself. Many password managers can also generate random strong passwords for you, so you do not have to create them yourself.

Troubleshooting password change problems

If you see an error message saying your current password is incorrect, make sure Caps Lock is not on and that you are typing your password exactly as you set it. Passwords are case-sensitive, meaning AOL treats uppercase and lowercase letters as different. If you have tried several times and still cannot sign in, use the "Forgot password" link on the AOL sign-in page to reset your password instead.

If you changed your password but cannot sign in on your phone or email program, the device may still be using the old password. Sign out of the email app completely, wait a few seconds, and sign back in. Enter your new password when prompted. If the error continues, delete the account from the app and add it again from scratch — this forces the app to use your new password. On some older email programs, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the app for the change to take effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to change my password if I have not had any problems with my account?

Changing your password every few months is a good security habit even if nothing seems wrong. If you have used the same password for more than a year, or if you use it on other websites, change it now. You do not need to change it weekly — a few times a year is enough for most people.

What if I forget my new password right after I change it?

Go to the AOL sign-in page and click "Forgot password." AOL will send a code to your recovery email address or phone number. Enter that code, and you can set a new password. This is why keeping your recovery email and phone number up to date in Account Settings is important.

Can I use a password I used before on my AOL account?

AOL does not let you reuse one of your last few passwords. If you try to set a password you have used recently, you will see an error message. Choose a password you have never used on this account before.

Will changing my password sign me out of AOL Mail on all my devices?

Yes, changing your password will sign you out of aol.com on all browsers and devices. You will need to sign back in with your new password. Email apps on your phone and desktop programs will also need the new password entered before they can check mail again.

What should I do if I think someone else changed my password without my permission?

Use the "Forgot password" option on the AOL sign-in page to reset it. AOL will send a code to your recovery email or phone. If you no longer have access to those, contact AOL Support through the Help section on aol.com. Also check your Account Settings to see if your recovery email or phone number was changed, and update them if needed.