How to Reset your Gmail Password

What to do when you forget your Gmail password

The Standard Recovery Procedure for Gmail

Gmail provides several options for confirming your identity and recovering (or changing) your password. Fortunately, they're all laid out in a handy wizard that Gmail will lead you through step by step.

To begin the password recovery procedure, click the "forgot password" link on the Gmail sign-in page. You'll then see a notification prompting you to enter the last password you recall. If you remember the correct password and have a backup system in place, you will be asked to continue in various ways. If none of these come to mind, click "attempt a different question."

The next option will send a code to a recovery email if you have a secondary recovery email address (which you set up way back when you created your Gmail account in the first place). Choosing this option will send a six-digit number to your secondary email account (which does not have to be Gmail) allowing you to reset your password and recover access to your account.

Check your secondary account's email for the code, then enter it to access a new password generator. Newer accounts may also have a phone number backup option—see below for more information.

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If it doesn't work, for example, because you don't have access to the account you first chose as a backup, click "try a new question" again. We're now approaching earlier, less secure methods of account protection, such as security questions like "what's your mother's maiden name?" At least one of these should be easy for you to answer.

Create a new password and confirm it at this stage. You may now access your account again. Here's a primer on how to create a secure and memorable new password.

Secure Your Account

After you've created a new password, Google will invite you to review the security settings for your Gmail account (and your greater Google account in general). If you haven't done, we strongly advise you to add a phone number and a current backup email to your account. They'll make it simple to retrieve your password by sending you a 6-digit pin by email or text message.

Though Gmail is used to enable security questions, you can no longer add new ones and only delete access to old ones. This is a precaution taken since security questions are ineffective at providing true security. Your old one will continue to function as long as you do not actively remove it from this page.