Change your Gmail password from your computer or phone

To change your Gmail password, sign into your Google Account, go to the Security section, find "Password" under "How you sign in to Google," and click it. You'll enter your current password once, then type your new password twice. Google will sign you out of Gmail on all your devices — you'll need to sign back in with the new password within 24 hours or your account locks temporarily.

The process is the same whether you use a computer, tablet, or phone. If you're on a phone, the steps are identical; Google's interface adapts to your screen size. The whole thing takes about two minutes if you know your current password.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to myaccount.google.com, click Security on the left, then click Password under "How you sign in to Google."
  • You must enter your current password before you can set a new one, even if you're already signed in.
  • Google signs you out everywhere after you change your password — sign back in within 24 hours or your account will lock temporarily.
  • A strong password has at least 12 characters and mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
  • If you've forgotten your current password, use the "Can't sign in?" option on the Gmail login page instead of this process.

Step-by-step: changing your password on a computer

Open a web browser and go to myaccount.google.com. Sign in with your Gmail address and password if you're not already signed in. On the left side of the page, click "Security" — it's the second option in the menu.

Scroll down until you see "How you sign in to Google." Under that heading, find the row that says "Password" with a right-pointing arrow. Click anywhere on that row. Google will ask you to enter your current password again for security reasons — type it in and click "Next."

Now you'll see two blank fields: "New password" and "Confirm new password." Type your new password in the first field. Type the exact same password in the second field. Click "Change password" at the bottom. You'll see a confirmation message, and the process is complete.

Step-by-step: changing your password on a phone or tablet

Open Gmail or any web browser and go to myaccount.google.com. Sign in if needed. Tap "Security" in the menu on the left side — you may need to scroll down to see it, or tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) if the left menu is hidden.

Scroll down to "How you sign in to Google" and tap the "Password" row. Google will ask for your current password; type it and tap "Next." Enter your new password in both fields, then tap "Change password." The confirmation appears on screen when it's done.

What happens after you change your password

Google automatically signs you out of Gmail on every device where you were signed in — your phone, tablet, computer, and any other device. This is a security feature. Within 24 hours, you need to sign back into Gmail on at least one device using your new password. If you don't sign in within 24 hours, Google temporarily locks your account as a precaution against unauthorized access.

If you use Gmail on multiple devices, you'll need to sign in again on each one. When you do, use your Gmail address and your new password. Any apps that connect to Gmail — like Outlook, Apple Mail, or your phone's built-in email app — will also need to be updated with your new password. If an app stops working after you change your password, that's why.

How to create a password Google won't reject

Google doesn't have a strict list of rules for passwords, but it does reject passwords that are too weak or that Google has seen in data breaches. A strong password has at least 12 characters and includes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. An example: "BlueMoon#2847Jazz" or "Coffee$Sunrise92!"

Avoid passwords that are dictionary words, your name, your birth year, or sequences like "12345" or "qwerty." Don't reuse a password you've used for other accounts. If you struggle to remember complex passwords, consider using a password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or the password manager built into your phone's operating system — these tools generate strong passwords and remember them for you.

If you've forgotten your current password

You can't use this process if you don't remember your current password. Instead, go to the Gmail login page (gmail.com) and click "Can't sign in?" below the password field. Google will walk you through recovery steps: you'll usually verify your identity by entering a recovery email address or phone number, or by answering security questions you set up earlier.

After you verify your identity, Google lets you set a new password without needing the old one. This process can take a few minutes to an hour depending on which recovery method you use. If you don't have access to your recovery email or phone number, account recovery becomes much harder — this is why setting up a recovery email and phone number now, before you need them, matters.

Why you might want to change your password regularly

You should change your Gmail password if you think someone else knows it, if you used the same password on another website that was hacked, or if you haven't changed it in over a year. You don't need to change it every month — that's outdated advice. Changing it once a year or when you have reason to suspect compromise is enough.

If you reuse passwords across multiple websites, change your Gmail password immediately. Your Gmail account is the master key to your digital life — if someone gets into Gmail, they can reset passwords on almost every other account you own. Using a unique, strong password for Gmail specifically is one of the highest-impact security decisions you can make.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my password delete my emails or contacts?

No. Changing your password only changes how you sign in. All your emails, contacts, calendar events, and files stay exactly where they are. You'll still see everything when you sign back in with your new password.

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

Use the "Can't sign in?" option on the Gmail login page. Google will ask you to verify your identity using a recovery email or phone number, then let you set another new password. You don't need to remember the old password to do this.

Do I need to change my password on my phone separately?

No. When you change your password on myaccount.google.com, it changes for your entire Google Account everywhere. Your phone will sign out and ask you to sign back in with the new password, but you don't need to change anything in your phone's settings.

Can I use the same password I used before?

Google won't let you reuse your most recent password. If you try, you'll see an error message. You must create a new password that's different from the one you just changed from.

What if I change my password but still can't sign into Gmail?

Wait a few minutes — sometimes it takes a moment for the change to sync across Google's servers. Make sure you're typing your new password correctly, with the right uppercase and lowercase letters. If you're still stuck after 10 minutes, try signing out completely, closing your browser, and signing in again.