If you suspect someone has accessed your email, or if you simply have not updated your login credentials in several years, changing your Gmail password is the most important security measure you can take.
Because your Gmail account is actually a central “Google Account,” changing this password will also change your login for YouTube, Google Drive, Google Maps, and Google Photos. Here is how to securely change your Gmail password on both a computer and a mobile device.
How to Change Your Password on a Computer
The password settings are not located in the standard Gmail inbox settings; you must navigate to your main Google Account dashboard.
- Open your web browser, navigate to gmail.com, and log into your current account.
- Look at the top-right corner of the screen. Click on your profile picture (or the circle containing your first initial).
- Click the large button labeled Manage your Google Account. This will open a new browser tab.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Security.
- Scroll down the page until you find the section titled “How you sign in to Google.”
- Click on Password.
Google will now require you to enter your current password to prove that you are the legitimate owner of the account, not someone who sat down at your unlocked laptop. Once you type your current password and click “Next,” you will be allowed to type a new password. Type it twice to confirm, and click Change Password.
How to Change Your Password on a Mobile App
If you only use your smartphone, you can access the exact same Google Account dashboard directly through the Gmail app for iOS or Android.
- Open the Gmail app on your phone.
- Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Tap the Manage your Google Account button located just below your email address.
- A new menu will slide up from the bottom. Look at the horizontal row of tabs just beneath your name (Home, Personal info, Data & privacy).
- Swipe your finger across these tabs to the left until you see Security. Tap it.
- Scroll down to the “How you sign in to Google” section and tap Password.
Just like on the desktop, you must enter your current password to proceed. After authenticating, type your new password twice and tap the blue “Change Password” button.
What Happens After You Change It?
When you click “Change Password,” Google will immediately log you out of all other devices currently connected to your account. This is a deliberate security feature. If a hacker was secretly logged into your Gmail on their own computer, they will be instantly kicked out.
You will need to re-enter your new password on your iPhone, your iPad, and any other computers you own to restore access.