Change your password from YouTube settings

Open YouTube in a web browser and sign in to your account. Click your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Settings from the dropdown menu. On the left side, click Security and privacy. You will see a section labeled Password with a button that says Change password — click it.

YouTube will ask you to sign in again to confirm it is really you. Enter your current password and click Next. Then type your new password twice — once in the New password field and once in the Confirm new password field. Make sure both entries match exactly, character for character, including capital letters and numbers.

Your new password should be at least 8 characters long and should not be a password you have used before on YouTube. A strong password mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols — for example, BlueMountain#2847 is stronger than password123. When you are ready, click Change password to save it.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your YouTube password through Settings > Security and privacy > Change password, not through a separate password manager.
  • YouTube will ask you to sign in again with your current password before letting you create a new one.
  • Your new password must be at least 8 characters and should include a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
  • If you forget your current password before you can change it, use the "Forgot password?" link on the YouTube sign-in page instead.
  • After you change your password, you will stay signed in on your current device, but other devices may ask you to sign in again within a few days.

What happens after you change your password

Once you click Change password, the new password takes effect when ready. You will remain signed in on the device you used to make the change. On other devices where you are signed into YouTube — your phone, tablet, or another computer — you may stay signed in for a few more days, but YouTube will eventually ask you to sign in again with your new password.

If you want to sign out of YouTube on all other devices right away instead of waiting, go back to Settings > Security and privacy and scroll down to find Your devices. Click Manage all devices and you will see a list of every device signed into your account. Click the device you want to sign out of, then click Sign out.

Change your password if you think someone else knows it

If you suspect your password has been compromised — perhaps you shared it by accident, or you used it on another website that was hacked — change it as soon as you can. Follow the same steps as above: Settings > Security and privacy > Change password. Make sure your new password is completely different from the old one and from any passwords you use elsewhere.

After you change your password, check your Security checkup to see if anything unusual happened on your account. In Settings > Security and privacy, click Security checkup. YouTube will show you recent sign-in activity and let you review which apps and websites have permission to access your account. If you see a sign-in from a place you do not recognize or an app you did not authorize, click it and select Remove or Revoke access.

Use a recovery email and phone number to protect your account

The easiest way to regain access to your account if you forget your password later is to have a recovery email address on file. Go to Settings > Security and privacy and look for How you sign in to Google. Click Email address and make sure the email listed is one you still use and can access. If you want to add a backup email, click Add recovery email and enter a different email address.

You can also add a phone number for recovery. In the same section, click Phone number and enter a number where you can receive text messages or calls. If you ever get locked out, YouTube can send you a code to that phone number or email address so you can verify your identity and reset your password without needing to remember the old one.

Change your password on a phone or tablet

You can change your YouTube password on a mobile device, but the steps are slightly different. Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right. Tap Settings, then tap Manage your Google Account. At the top, tap the Security tab. Scroll down to Password and tap Change password.

YouTube will ask you to sign in again. Enter your current password and tap Next. Then enter your new password twice and tap Change password. The process is the same as on a computer — your new password takes effect right away, and you may need to sign in again on other devices within a few days.

What to do if you cannot access the password change page

If you try to change your password and YouTube shows an error message or will not let you proceed, the most common reason is that you are not signed in. Sign out completely and sign back in, then try again. If you still cannot reach the password change page, try using a different web browser or clearing your browser's cache and cookies.

If you are signed in but the page still will not load, wait a few minutes and try again. YouTube occasionally has brief outages. If the problem continues for more than an hour, you can report it through the YouTube Help Center, though the fastest way to get back into your account is usually to use the "Forgot password?" link on the sign-in page and reset your password that way instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to change my password if I change my recovery email?

No. Changing your recovery email does not affect your password or your ability to sign in. A recovery email is only used if you forget your password later and need to prove your identity to reset it. You can update your recovery email without touching your password.

Will changing my password delete my videos or subscriptions?

No. Your password protects access to your account, but changing it does not affect any of your content, subscriptions, playlists, or watch history. Everything stays exactly as it was.

Can I use the same password I used before?

YouTube will not let you reuse a password you have used on this account in the past. You must create a new password that is different from any previous one. This is a security measure to prevent old compromised passwords from being used again.

How often should I change my YouTube password?

You do not need to change your password on a schedule. Change it if you think someone else knows it, if you used it on another website that was hacked, or if you have not changed it in several years. Otherwise, a strong unique password that only you know is find indefinitely.

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

Go to the YouTube sign-in page and click Forgot password? Enter your email address. YouTube will send a reset link to your recovery email or ask you to verify your identity using your recovery phone number. Follow the steps to create a new password.