Change your Yahoo password from your account settings

To change your Yahoo password, sign into your account, go to Account Info, select Security, and choose Change Password. You'll enter your current password once, then type your new password twice. Yahoo will confirm the change when ready, and you'll stay signed in.

The process takes about two minutes. You don't need to sign out first, and you can change your password from any device — computer, phone, or tablet — as long as you can access Yahoo's website or app.

Key Takeaways

  • You need to know your current password to change it; if you've forgotten it, use the account recovery process instead of this one.
  • Your new password must be at least 8 characters long and should include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols to be strong.
  • After you change your password, you'll be signed out of Yahoo on all other devices within 24 hours, so plan accordingly if you use Yahoo Mail on your phone.
  • If you change your password because you think someone else accessed your account, also check your recovery email and phone number in Account Info to make sure they're still yours.

Step-by-step: changing your password on a computer

Open a web browser and go to yahoo.com. Click the profile icon in the top right corner (it looks like a circle with your initial or photo inside). Select Account Info from the menu that appears.

On the left side of the page, click Security. You'll see a section labeled "Password" with a Change Password button. Click it. Yahoo will ask you to enter your current password — type it in the field and click Verify. If you enter it wrong, you'll see an error message and can try again.

Once Yahoo confirms your current password, you'll see two fields: one for your new password and one to confirm it. Type your new password in both fields. Make sure they match exactly — if they don't, Yahoo won't let you proceed. Click Change Password when you're done. You'll see a confirmation message, and your password is now updated.

Step-by-step: changing your password on the Yahoo Mail app

Open the Yahoo Mail app on your phone or tablet. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings, then select your email account from the list.

Tap Account Info. You may need to sign in again for security reasons. Once you're in Account Info, tap Security at the top. Find the Password section and tap Change Password. Enter your current password, then type your new password twice in the fields that appear. Tap Change Password to confirm.

What makes a strong password Yahoo will accept

Yahoo requires passwords to be at least 8 characters long. A strong password includes uppercase letters (A–Z), lowercase letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and symbols (!@#$%^&*). For example, "BlueSky2024!" is stronger than "bluesky2024" because it mixes uppercase and lowercase letters.

Avoid passwords that use your name, your birth year, or words that appear in the dictionary. Don't reuse a password you've used on other websites — if one site gets hacked, someone could try that same password on your Yahoo account. A password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password can generate and store strong passwords so you don't have to remember them.

What happens after you change your password

You stay signed into Yahoo on the device where you made the change. On other devices — your phone, tablet, or another computer — Yahoo will sign you out within 24 hours. When you try to check email on those devices, you'll see a sign-in screen. Enter your email address and your new password to sign back in.

If you use Yahoo Mail on multiple devices and want to avoid being signed out, change your password on the device you use most often. You can then sign back in on your other devices at your own pace rather than being forced out.

If you see an error message during the change

If Yahoo says "Password doesn't meet requirements," your new password is missing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, or symbols. Try a different password that includes all four types of characters.

If Yahoo says "Current password is incorrect," you've typed your existing password wrong. Check that Caps Lock is off and try again. If you've tried three times and still can't remember your current password, stop here and use Yahoo's account recovery process instead — that's the correct path when you've forgotten your password.

If you see "Something went wrong," wait a few minutes and try again. This usually means Yahoo's servers are temporarily busy. If the error keeps happening, try changing your password on a different device or browser.

Changing your password if you think your account was compromised

If you suspect someone else has accessed your account, change your password when ready, then check two other things in Account Info. Go to Security and look at your recovery email address and recovery phone number — these are the ways Yahoo lets you back in if you get locked out. If either one is wrong or unfamiliar, click Edit next to it and change it back to your own email or phone number.

Also check the Connected Apps section in Security. This shows which apps and websites you've given permission to access your Yahoo account. If you see an app you don't recognize, click it and select Remove. After you've done these three things — changed your password, fixed your recovery information, and removed unknown apps — your account is much harder for someone else to access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to change my password if I haven't forgotten it?

No, but Yahoo recommends changing your password every few months as a security practice. If you've never changed it since you created your account, changing it now is a good idea. If you think someone else might know your password, change it right away.

Will changing my password delete my emails or contacts?

No. Changing your password only affects how you sign in. All your emails, contacts, folders, and settings stay exactly as they are. Your password change doesn't touch any of your data.

What if I change my password and then forget the new one?

Use Yahoo's account recovery process to regain access. You'll need your recovery email address or recovery phone number. Yahoo will send you a code to reset your password. This is why it's important to keep your recovery email and phone number current in Account Info.

Can I change my password on someone else's computer safely?

You can, but it's riskier. If you must, make sure to sign out completely when you're done — don't just close the browser. Better practice: change your password on your own device. If you did change it on a shared computer, consider changing it again from your own device to be safe.

How often should I change my Yahoo password?

Security experts suggest changing your password every three to six months. If you use the same password on multiple websites, change it more often. If your password is unique to Yahoo and you use a strong combination of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols, changing it once or twice a year is reasonable.