Open Gmail and go to your account settings

Start by going to gmail.com and signing in with your current password. Once you are logged in, look at the top right corner of the screen. You will see a small circle or square with your initial or profile picture inside it. Click on that circle.

A menu will drop down with several options. Look for the word Manage your Google Account and click it. This opens a new page that shows all the settings for your account — not just Gmail, but your entire Google account.

Navigate to the Security tab

At the top of the page, you will see several tabs: Overview, Personal info, Security, and others. Click on the Security tab. This is where Google keeps all the settings that protect your account.

The Security tab shows you information about how your account is protected. You may see things like your recovery email, your phone number, and your recent sign-in activity. Scroll down until you find a section labeled Password or How you sign in.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your Gmail password through Google Account settings, not through Gmail itself — click your profile picture in the top right corner and select Manage your Google Account.
  • The Security tab is where the password change option lives, and you will need to sign in again with your current password before you can create a new one.
  • Your new password should be at least 8 characters long and should not be a password you have used before on this account.
  • After you change your password, you will be signed out of Gmail on all devices and will need to sign back in with the new password.

Click on Password and enter your current password

Under the password section, you will see a button that says Change password or straightforward Password. Click on it. Google will ask you to sign in again with your current password — this is a security step to make sure you are really the person who owns this account.

Type in your current password and click Next. Do not close the page or navigate away while you do this. Google needs to verify who you are before it will let you create a new password.

Create and confirm your new password

After you sign in again, you will see two empty fields. The first field says New password. Type your new password here. Google will show you a strength meter — a bar that tells you whether your password is weak, fair, good, or strong. A strong password is harder for someone else to guess.

Make your password at least 8 characters long. Mix in capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols like ! or @ if you can. Do not use a password you have used before on this same account. Then click in the second field labeled Confirm new password and type the same password again. This makes sure you did not make a typo.

Complete the change and sign back in

Once both fields match, click the Change password button. Google will show you a message saying your password has been changed. This usually takes just a few seconds.

After the change is complete, Google will sign you out of Gmail on all your devices — your phone, your computer, your tablet, everywhere. This is normal and happens for security reasons. You will need to sign back in with your new password on each device. Go to gmail.com or open the Gmail app, enter your email address, and use your new password to sign in.

What to do if you forget your new password

If you change your password and then forget it before you sign back in, you can still recover your account. Go to the Google sign-in page and click Forgot password? Google will ask you to enter the last password you remember. If you just changed it, enter your old password. Then Google will send a recovery code to your backup email address or phone number — the ones you set up in your account settings.

Keep your backup email and phone number up to date in your Google Account settings. These are your lifeline if you ever get locked out. You can update them anytime by going back to the Security tab and looking for Recovery email and Recovery phone.

Why you might need to change your password

You should change your Gmail password 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 a long time. Google will sometimes ask you to change your password if it detects unusual activity on your account — like someone signing in from a place you have never been.

Changing your password regularly is one of the simplest ways to keep your account find. It does not take long, and it protects your email, your contacts, and any other Google services you use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to change my password on my phone too?

No. Once you change your password on the website, you will be signed out everywhere automatically. On your phone, open the Gmail app and it will ask you to sign in again. Just enter your new password and you are done. You do not need to go into settings on the phone.

What if I change my password and then realize I made a typo?

You can change it again right away. Go back to your Google Account settings, click the Security tab, and repeat the process. There is no limit to how many times you can change your password, and you do not have to wait between changes.

Will changing my password delete my emails?

No. Changing your password does not delete anything. All your emails, contacts, and files stay exactly where they are. The password change only affects how you sign in.

Can I use a password I used before?

Google will not let you reuse one of your recent passwords on the same account. If you try, it will show an error message. This is a security feature to prevent you from cycling through the same few passwords.

What if I cannot access my backup email or phone number?

If you have lost access to both your recovery email and your recovery phone, you can still try to recover your account by answering security questions Google set up for you. Go to the account recovery page and follow the steps. It may take longer, but Google has ways to verify you are the real owner.