How to Change Gmail Password If You Forgot It: A Complete Guide

If you use Gmail as your primary email service, you may forget your Gmail password and want to recover your account. Fortunately, Google has a simple and secure way to reset your password and regain access to your account. In this article, we will show you how to change your Gmail password if you forget it, step by step, for both desktop and mobile devices.

Why is it important to change your Gmail password regularly, you ask? Your Gmail account contains personal and sensitive information, such as contacts, messages, photos, documents, etc. If someone hacks into your account, they can access all of this data and use it for malicious purposes.

So, changing your password regularly can prevent unauthorized access and keep your account safe. It would be wise to use a strong and unique password that is difficult to guess or crack. With this understanding, let’s begin with the article.

What Happens After Your Change Your Gmail Password

Changing your Gmail password is a simple and effective way to protect your account from hackers and unauthorized access. However, there are some things that you should be aware of after you change your password. Here are some of them:

• You will need to sign in again with your new password on all your devices and apps that use your Gmail account. This includes your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and any other device you use to access your email.
• You may also need to update your password on other Google services linked to your Gmail account—for example, YouTube, Google Drive, Google Photos, or any other Google service.

These are some things that happen after you change your Gmail password. That said, let’s begin with the steps to reset your Gmail password, starting with the desktop; continue reading.

Also Read: How to create a Google account for your child on mobile or web

How to Reset a Gmail Password on a Computer

Step 1: Go to Google My Account from your preferred browser on your desktop.

Go to Google My Account

Step 2: Click Security in the left pane. 

Step 3: Under ‘How you sign in to Google,’ choose Password.

You will be asked to enter your password and sign in again.

Step 4: Once signed in, you will be taken to the Password page. You will need to enter your New Password, confirm it again, and click Change password.  

Note: Use a strong password, meaning a combination of characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols, to resist unauthorized access and hacking attempts.

That’s it. You will be logged out from everywhere your Gmail account is connected, and you may have to log in again with your updated password. 

If you don’t have access to your desktop and want to do the same using an Android device, continue reading. 

How to Change a Gmail Password on Android

Step 1: Launch your phone’s Settings app and navigate to Google. 

Step 2: Under the Google option, tap ‘Manage your Google Account.’ You will be taken to your Google My Account page.

Step 3: Navigate to Security, and under ‘How you sign in to Google,’ scroll down to Password and tap on it. 

Google will ask you to verify yourself by logging into your account. You can do this using the current password or passkey, depending on the option you have enabled or feasible.

Step 4: Once you log in, you will be asked to enter a new password, confirm it again, and tap Change password.  

Note: Ensure you use a lengthy, unpredictable, and unique combination of words, numbers, and special characters to create a new password for your account. 

There you go. You have changed your Gmail password. Google will automatically sign you out of all devices connected to your account, as with the desktop, even on Android. You will have to sign back in with your new account to continue.

If you are not an Android user but an iOS user, check out the method below.

Also Read: How to manage personal information on your Google account

How to Reset a Gmail Password on iPhone

Step 1: Firstly, launch the Gmail app on your iPhone and tap on your profile picture at the top right corner.

Step 2: Tap “Manage your Google Account’ and choose Personal Info.

Step 3: Scroll down, under ‘Other infos and preferences for Google services,’ choose Password.

Note: Google will ask you to enter your current password and log in to your account.

Step 4: Now, you will be asked to enter a new password, confirm it again, and tap Change password.  

You have successfully changed your password. With this change, you will immediately be logged out of your Gmail account. You will have to sign back in with your new account to continue. 

This was the case when you had access to your account. What if you are locked out of your account and want to reset a forgotten Gmail password? Continue reading.

How to Reset a Forgotten Gmail Password

There are a multitude of ways to reset a forgotten Gmail password. How you reset your Gmail password depends on your recovery preferences. Depending on your chosen option, these preferences can vary from phone numbers to email recovery to passkeys. Let’s begin with the steps.

Step 1: Go to the Account Recovery page from your preferred browser on your desktop or mobile device.

Note: You can also reach this page by tapping the Forgot email option during sign-in.

Go to Account Recovery Page

Step 2: Now, enter your email address and click Next.

Step 3: Click ‘Try another way’ on the ‘Enter your password’ page. 

Choose the most feasible option to reset your password from the list of options. We are going to verify using the code on email.

Step 4: If you have another email associated with your Gmail account, Google will send a verification code to the recovery email address.

Step 5: Copy the code from the recovery email address, enter it in the text box, and click Next. 

Note: Google must verify that you own the account by using any option available. Otherwise, you will lose access to your Google account or have to create a new one. 

Step 6: Once you authenticate, the system will take you to the Welcome back page. Click Update password.

Step 7: On the change password page, enter and re-enter a new password, and click the Save password button.

There you have it. You have successfully recovered your forgotten Gmail password. Ensure you answer as many security questions as possible, including passwords and answers to Google’s security questions, and get a hold of your account.

What to Do After Changing Your Gmail/Google Password

After changing your Gmail/Google password, there are some things you can do to enhance your account security and prevent any problems. Let’s begin with the most common one.

1. Set a Strong Password

Setting a strong password is imperative to protect your account from hackers. Generally, a strong password is a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

2. Enable Two-Step Verification in Gmail

Two-step verification is a feature that adds an extra layer of security to your account. It requires you to enter a code sent to your phone or another device when you sign in, in addition to your password. We have explained in detail in our article how to enable two-factor authentication for your Google account.

This way, even if someone knows your password, they won’t be able to access your account without your phone or device. 

3. Add a Recovery Address or Phone Number

A recovery address or phone number is a way for Google to contact you if you forget your password, lose access to your account, or notice any suspicious activity. It can also help you regain access to your account if locked out or hacked. Follow the below steps.

Step 1: Go to Google My Account from your preferred browser on your desktop. 

Go to Google My Account

Step 2: Click Security in the left pane. 

Step 3: Under ‘How you sign in to Google,’ choose Recovery phone / Recovery email.

Note: For demonstration, we are going with Recovering email.

You will be asked to enter your password and sign in again.

Step 4: Once you log in, you will be asked to enter a recovery email or phone number. Click Next.  

Step 5: In the pop-up, enter the code received on the alternate email address you want to add and click Verify. 

There you go. You have added a recovery email address or recovery phone number. If you have any queries, check out the FAQ section below.

FAQs on Changing Gmail Password

1. Is changing my Gmail password enough to secure my account?

While changing your Gmail password is an important step, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security is crucial. This ensures that even if someone gains access to your password, they won’t be able to log in without the second verification factor.

2. Can I revert to my old Gmail password after changing it?

No, once you’ve changed your Gmail password, you cannot revert to a previous one.

Secure Your Emails

Now that you know how to change your Gmail password if you forget it, you can change it on a regular basis to keep your account secure or in times of need. You may also want to read about what happens when your Google account is disabled and tips for recovering it.

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