Change your AOL username and password from your account settings

You can change your AOL username and password directly through your AOL account page. The process takes about five minutes and does not require you to create a new email address — your current inbox stays the same. Both changes happen in the same place: the Account Security section of your AOL settings.

You will need your current password to make either change, so have that ready before you start. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it first using your recovery email or phone number, then proceed with the steps below.

Key Takeaways

  • Your AOL username (the part before @aol.com) and your password are changed separately, both in Account Security settings.
  • Changing your username does not affect your email address or inbox — mail still arrives at the same place.
  • You must know your current password to change either your username or password.
  • After you change your password, you will be signed out of all devices and will need to sign back in with the new password.
  • If you use AOL Mail on your phone or in other apps, you will need to update the password in those apps after the change.

Steps to change your AOL username

Go to account.aol.com and sign in with your current username and password. Once you are logged in, look for the Account Security section — this is usually on the left side of the page or under a menu labeled "Account" or "Settings".

Click on Change Username. You will see a field with your current username already filled in. Type your new username in the field below it. AOL will tell you right away if the username is already taken or if it breaks AOL's naming rules (for example, usernames cannot start with a number). Once you find one that works, click Change Username to confirm. The change takes effect when ready.

After you change your username, you can still receive mail at your old username for 30 days. After that, anyone trying to email your old address will get a bounce-back message. Your new username becomes your primary login name for AOL Mail and any other AOL services you use.

Steps to change your AOL password

From the same Account Security section, click on Change Password. You will be asked to enter your current password first, then type your new password twice to make sure you did not make a typo. AOL will show you whether your new password is strong or weak — a strong password has at least 16 characters and mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Once you click Change Password to confirm, you will be signed out of your AOL account on all devices. This is a security measure. You will need to sign back in on each device (your computer, phone, tablet, or anywhere else you use AOL Mail) using your new password.

Update your password in AOL Mail apps and other programs

If you use AOL Mail on your phone through the official AOL Mail app, or if you have set up AOL in Outlook, Thunderbird, or another email program, you will need to update the password in those apps after you change it. The old password will stop working, and you will see an error message asking you to re-enter your credentials.

On your phone, open the AOL Mail app, go to Settings, find your account, and tap Edit Account. Delete the old password and type in your new one. On a computer, open the email program, find your AOL account settings (usually under Tools or Preferences), and update the password there. The exact steps vary by program, but they all follow the same idea: find where the password is stored and replace it with the new one.

What to do if you cannot remember your current password

If you have forgotten your password and cannot sign into your account, you will need to reset it before you can change your username or password. Go to login.aol.com and click Trouble signing in? at the bottom of the login box.

AOL will ask you to verify your identity. You can do this by entering a recovery email address (if you set one up) or a recovery phone number. AOL will send you a code to that email or phone, and once you enter the code, you can create a new password. After that, you can follow the steps above to change your username if you want to.

Protect your new password after you change it

Once you have a new password, do not share it with anyone, and do not reuse it on other websites or accounts. If someone has access to your AOL password, they can read your email, change your account settings, and use your account to reset passwords on other services that rely on your AOL email for recovery.

Write your new password down in a physical notebook kept in a safe place, or use a password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or KeePass to store it. A password manager remembers all your passwords so you only have to remember one master password. This is safer than reusing the same password across multiple sites, which is a common way accounts get compromised.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my username affect my email address?

No. Your email address stays the same. If your email is username@aol.com, it remains that way even after you change your username. The new username becomes your login name, but mail still arrives at the old address for 30 days, then bounces back.

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

You can reset it the same way you would reset any forgotten password: go to login.aol.com, click "Trouble signing in?", and verify your identity using your recovery email or phone number. AOL will send you a code, and you can create another new password.

Do I need to change my password on my phone right away?

Yes. If you use AOL Mail on your phone, the old password will stop working within a few minutes. You will see an error message asking you to update your password in the app settings. Update it as soon as you see the error to avoid losing access to your email on that device.

Can I change my username back to what it was before?

Yes, you can change your username as many times as you want. However, if someone else claims your old username after you change it, you cannot get it back. Choose a new username you plan to keep for a while.

What if AOL says my new username is already taken?

Try a variation: add a number, use an underscore, or combine two words. AOL shows you when ready whether a username is available, so you can test different options until you find one that works.