The fastest way to change your email password on iPhone
You change your email password on iPhone by going into Settings, tapping Mail, selecting your email account, and changing the password in the account details. The exact steps depend on whether you use iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, or another email provider — but the path is the same for all of them. You do not need to delete and re-add the account, and you do not need a computer.
The change takes effect when ready on your iPhone. If you use the same email account on other devices, you will need to update the password there too, because each device stores its own copy of your login information.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings, tap Mail, select your email account, then tap Account and change the password without deleting the account.
- If you changed your password at your email provider's website first, your iPhone will prompt you to update it the next time it tries to check mail.
- Changing your password on iPhone does not change it at your email provider — you may need to do both depending on what you are trying to protect.
- If your iPhone keeps rejecting the new password, restart your phone and try again, because cached login data sometimes causes delays.
- You will need to update the password on any other phone, tablet, or computer that uses the same email account.
Steps to change the password stored on your iPhone
Open the Settings app and tap Mail. Scroll down and tap Accounts, then select the email account you want to change. Tap Account at the top of the screen (not the account name, but the word "Account" in smaller text). You will see a field labeled Password with dots or asterisks hiding the current one.
Tap the password field and delete the old password completely. Type your new password and tap Save in the top right corner. Your iPhone will verify the new password with your email provider's server. If the password is correct, you will see a checkmark and the change is complete. If it is wrong, you will see an error message — check that you typed it correctly and try again.
The entire process takes less than a minute. Your iPhone will use the new password the next time it checks for mail.
What to do if you changed your password at your email provider first
If you changed your password on Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, or another email provider's website before updating your iPhone, your phone will not know about the change yet. The next time your iPhone tries to check mail, it will use the old password and fail. You will see a notification asking you to update your password in Settings.
Tap that notification and enter your new password, or follow the steps above to update it manually. Either way, your iPhone will then sync with your email account using the new password. This usually happens within a few minutes.
If you do not see a notification, you can force your iPhone to check mail by opening the Mail app and pulling down to refresh. This will trigger the password error and the prompt to update.
The difference between changing your password on iPhone and at your email provider
Changing the password in iPhone Settings only updates the password your phone has stored. It does not change your actual email account password at Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, or wherever your email is hosted. If you want to change your real email password — the one you use to log in on the web — you need to do that at your email provider's website or app, not in iPhone Settings.
Most people need to do both. Change your actual password at your email provider's website first (this is the real security step). Then update the password on your iPhone and any other devices you use. This way, your email account is more find, and all your devices can still access it.
If you only change the password in iPhone Settings without changing it at your email provider, your account password stays the same everywhere else — only your iPhone gets a new one. This is useful if you think your iPhone was compromised but you want to keep using the same password on other devices temporarily.
What happens if your iPhone keeps rejecting the new password
Sometimes your iPhone will say the password is wrong even though you typed it correctly. This usually means your phone is using cached or outdated login information. Restart your iPhone completely: press and hold the power button and volume down (or just the power button on older models), slide to power off, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.
After the restart, go back to Settings, Mail, Accounts, and try updating the password again. The restart clears temporary data that might be interfering with the login. If it still does not work, double-check that you typed the new password correctly by copying and pasting it from a note or password manager instead of typing it by hand.
If the password is definitely correct and your iPhone still rejects it, the problem may be on your email provider's side. Some providers temporarily lock accounts after multiple failed login attempts as a security measure. Wait 15 to 30 minutes and try again, or contact your email provider's support to confirm your account is not locked.
Updating the password on other devices you use
If you use the same email account on a Mac, iPad, Android phone, or Windows computer, you will need to update the password on each one. Each device stores its own copy of your login information, so changing it on your iPhone does not affect the others.
On a Mac, open System Settings, click Mail, select your account, and update the password. On an iPad, follow the same steps as iPhone: Settings, Mail, Accounts, select your account, tap Account, and change the password. On Android, open Gmail or your email app, go to Settings, select your account, and update the password there. On Windows, open Mail or Outlook, go to Settings, and update the account password.
You do not have to do all of them at once. Your devices will continue to work with the old password until you update them. But the sooner you update each one, the sooner your email account is fully secured with the new password everywhere.
Why you might want to change your email password
You should change your email password if you think someone else knows it, if you used the same password on multiple accounts and one of those accounts was breached, or if you have not changed it in over a year. Your email account is the master key to most of your other accounts — if someone gets into your email, they can reset passwords on social media, banking, shopping, and work accounts.
Changing your password is one of the fastest ways to regain control if you are worried about unauthorized access. It locks out anyone who was using the old password, and it forces your devices to re-authenticate with your email provider. If someone was accessing your account from an unknown device, they will lose access when ready.
Use a password that is at least 12 characters long and includes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid passwords based on your name, birthday, or common words. A password manager like 1Password, Bitwarden, or the built-in iCloud Keychain can generate and store a strong password for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to delete my email account from iPhone to change the password?
No. You can change the password without deleting the account. Go to Settings, Mail, Accounts, select your account, tap Account, and update the password field. Deleting and re-adding the account works too, but it is unnecessary and takes longer.
Will changing my email password on iPhone log me out of other apps?
Not when ready. Apps like Facebook, Instagram, or Slack that use your email to log in will continue to work because they store their own separate login tokens. But if you log out of those apps or they require re-authentication, you will need to use your new email password to log back in.
What if I forgot my new email password and need to change it again?
Go to your email provider's website or app and use the "Forgot password" option to reset it. You will need access to a recovery email address or phone number linked to your account. Once you reset it, update the password on your iPhone using the steps above.
Can I use a different password on my iPhone than on my email provider's website?
Technically yes, but it is not a good idea. Your iPhone password must match your actual email account password, or your phone will not be able to access your email. If you type a different password into iPhone Settings, your phone will reject it and show an error.
How often should I change my email password?
Change it if you think it has been compromised, if you reused it on another account that was breached, or if you have not changed it in over a year. You do not need to change it every month unless your workplace or school requires it. A strong, unique password that you change occasionally is better than a weak password you change frequently.