Change your password from Google Account settings

Open a web browser and go to myaccount.google.com. Sign in with your current Google password if you are not already signed in. On the left side of the page, click Security. You will see a section labeled How you sign in to Google — click Password underneath it.

Google will ask you to sign in again for security reasons. Enter your current password and click Next. Then type your new password in the first box, type it again in the second box to confirm it, and click Change Password. The page will show a confirmation message. Your new password is now active on all your Google services — Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, and anything else connected to that account.

This process takes about two minutes. You do not need to sign out and back in; Google keeps you logged in after the change. If you have saved your Google password in Chrome or another browser, that browser may ask if you want to update the saved password — you can click Update or skip it and update manually later.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to myaccount.google.com, click Security, then click Password to reach the password change screen.
  • Google requires you to enter your current password before you can set a new one, even if you are already signed in.
  • Your new password takes effect when ready across Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, and all other Google services.
  • If you use Chrome or another browser that saves passwords, you can update the saved password when prompted or do it manually in your browser settings later.
  • A strong password has at least 12 characters and mixes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

What makes a strong password

A strong password is hard for someone else to guess and hard for a computer program to crack. Use at least 12 characters — longer is better. Mix uppercase letters (A–Z), lowercase letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and symbols (!@#$%^&*). Avoid passwords based on your name, birthday, address, or common words that appear in a dictionary.

Do not reuse a password you have used on other websites. If one website gets hacked, someone with your password can try it on Gmail, your bank, and everywhere else. A password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or the password manager built into Chrome can generate strong passwords and remember them for you, so you only have to remember one master password.

Change your password on a phone or tablet

Open the Gmail app, Google Drive app, or any Google app on your phone. Tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap Manage your Google Account. Swipe to the Security tab. Scroll down and tap Password. Enter your current password when prompted, then enter your new password twice and tap Change Password.

The steps are the same on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. If you do not see a profile picture icon, look for a menu icon (three horizontal lines) and tap Settings or Account instead. The exact location varies slightly between apps, but the Security section and Password option are always there.

Update saved passwords in your browser

After you change your Google password, your web browser may still have the old password saved. When you sign in to Gmail or another Google service with your new password, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge will ask if you want to update the saved password. Click Update or Save to replace the old one.

If you skip that prompt, you can update it manually. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top right, go to Settings, click Passwords, search for Google, and click the three dots next to the Gmail entry. Select Edit, change the password field to your new password, and click Save. In Firefox, click the menu button, go to Settings, click Privacy & Security, scroll to Logins and Passwords, click Saved Logins, find Google, and update it there.

What to do if you forget your new password

If you change your password and then forget it, you can recover your account using a backup email address or a phone number you added to your Google Account. Go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and enter your email address. Google will ask you to verify your identity — you can choose to receive a code by email or text message. Enter that code, and you will be able to set a new password.

This recovery process works only if you set up a backup email or phone number before you locked yourself out. If you did not, recovery is slower and may require you to answer security questions about your account history. That is why adding a backup email and phone number to your account now — before you need them — saves time later.

Change your password if you think someone else has access

If you suspect someone has your password, change it right away using the steps above. After you change it, go back to myaccount.google.com, click Security, and scroll down to Your devices. Click Manage all devices to see every phone, tablet, and computer signed in to your account. If you see a device you do not recognize, click it and select Sign out.

Then scroll back up to the Security section and look for Recent security events. This shows you when and where someone signed in to your account. If you see sign-ins from places you have never been, that is a sign someone else has your password. Changing your password removes their access, but signing out all devices makes sure they cannot use old sessions to stay logged in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to change my password regularly?

Google does not require you to change your password on a schedule. Change it if you think someone else knows it, if you used the same password on another website that got hacked, or if you have not changed it in several years. A strong password that only you know does not need to be changed just because time has passed.

What if I cannot remember my current password to enter it on the change screen?

You cannot change your password without entering your current one — that is a security feature. If you cannot remember it, use the recovery process at accounts.google.com/signin/recovery instead. You will verify your identity with a backup email or phone number, and then you can set a new password.

Will changing my password sign me out of Gmail on my phone?

No. Changing your password does not automatically sign you out of any device. You stay signed in on your phone, computer, and tablet. If someone else has your old password and is signed in on another device, they stay signed in until you manually sign them out from the Security section of your Google Account.

Can I use the same password I used before?

Google will not let you reuse one of your last five passwords. If you try to set a password you have used recently, you will see an error message. This prevents someone who briefly had access to your account from straightforward changing the password back to what it was before.

How long does it take for the new password to work everywhere?

Your new password is active when ready on the web. On phones and tablets, you may need to sign out of the Gmail app or other Google apps and sign back in with your new password. Signing out and back in usually takes less than a minute per app.