Where to find the password change option

Your Chromebook password lives in your Google Account settings, not on the device itself. When you sign into your Chromebook, you are signing into Google — so changing your password means going to Google's account page, not hunting through Chromebook menus.

You can change your password from any device with a web browser: your Chromebook, phone, tablet, or computer. The steps are the same everywhere. You do not need to be on your Chromebook to do it.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Chromebook password is your Google Account password, which you change on Google's website, not on the device itself.
  • Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Security" in the left menu, then find "Password" and click "Change password".
  • Google will ask you to sign in again to confirm your identity before letting you set a new password.
  • After you change your password, you will need to sign out of your Chromebook and sign back in with the new password the next time you use it.
  • If you forget your current password, use the "Forgot password?" link on the Google sign-in screen instead of trying to change it.

Step-by-step: changing your password on Google's website

Open a web browser and go to myaccount.google.com. Sign in with your Google Account if you are not already signed in. On the left side of the page, you will see a menu with several options — click "Security".

Scroll down until you see a section labeled "How you sign in to Google". Under that section, you will see "Password" with a button that says "Change password". Click that button.

Google will ask you to sign in one more time as a security check. Type your current password and click "Next". This confirms that you are really the account owner before allowing a change.

Now you will see two fields: "New password" and "Confirm new password". Type your new password in both fields. Google will show you a strength meter — green means strong. Click "Change password" when you are done.

What happens after you change your password

Your new password takes effect when ready on Google's servers. However, your Chromebook will not know about the change right away. The next time you turn on your Chromebook or it locks due to inactivity, you will be asked to sign in again.

When the sign-in screen appears, type your email address and then your new password. If you type your old password by mistake, you will see an error message. Just try again with the new one.

After you sign in successfully with the new password, your Chromebook will work normally. You will not need to change anything else on the device.

If you use your Chromebook at school or work

Some Chromebooks are managed by a school or company. If yours is, you may not be able to change your password through Google's website — your school or workplace controls that account.

Instead, look for a password change option in your school's or company's portal, or contact your IT department or help desk. They can tell you whether you are allowed to change your own password and where to do it.

If you forget your current password

Do not try to change a password you cannot remember. Instead, go to the Google sign-in page and click "Forgot password?" below the password field. Google will walk you through recovering your account — usually by sending a code to a backup email address or phone number you set up earlier.

Once you recover your account, you can set a brand new password. This process takes a few minutes but is more reliable than trying to change a password you do not know.

Making your new password strong and memorable

A strong password has at least 12 characters and mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using your name, birthdate, or common words that appear in the dictionary.

If you struggle to remember complex passwords, consider using a password manager — a tool that stores passwords securely and fills them in for you. Google's built-in password manager works on Chromebooks and can generate strong passwords automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to change my password on my Chromebook, or can I do it somewhere else?

You must change it on Google's website (myaccount.google.com), not on the Chromebook itself. The Chromebook does not have a password change option in its settings. You can use any device with a web browser to make the change.

Will changing my password sign me out of other devices?

Not automatically. Your phone, tablet, and other devices will keep working with the old password until they try to sign in again or you manually sign them out. For security reasons, you may want to sign out of devices you no longer use.

What if I change my password but my Chromebook still asks for the old one?

Your Chromebook is probably offline or has not synced yet. Sign out completely (click your profile picture in the bottom right, then "Sign out"), wait a few seconds, and sign back in with your new password. If that does not work, restart your Chromebook.

Can I change my password if I do not remember my security questions?

Yes. Google does not require you to answer security questions to change your password — only to recover a forgotten password. If you know your current password, you can change it anytime without answering anything.

How often should I change my Chromebook password?

There is no set rule. Change it if you think someone else knows it, if you used the same password on another site that was hacked, or straightforward if you want to. Most people change passwords once or twice a year for general security.