Change your password in the Settings app
To change the password for an email account on your iPhone, open Settings, tap Mail, then Accounts. Select the email account you want to change, tap Account, then Password. Enter your new password and tap Done. Your iPhone will verify the new password with the email provider's server.
This process works for most email providers — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, and others. The password you enter here is the same one you would use to log in on a computer or through the email provider's website. If you have two-factor authentication enabled on your email account, you may need to use an app password instead of your regular password; your email provider will tell you whether this applies.
After you change the password, Mail may take a few seconds to reconnect. If it does not reconnect automatically, try closing and reopening the Mail app. If you see an error message, double-check that you typed the new password correctly — spaces and capital letters matter.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings, go to Mail, select Accounts, choose your email account, tap Account, then Password to change it on your iPhone.
- The password you enter in Settings must match the password you use to log into that email account on a computer or website.
- If your email account uses two-factor authentication, you may need to generate an app-specific password from your email provider instead of using your regular password.
- Mail will reconnect automatically after you save the new password, but you can close and reopen the app if it does not.
What happens if Mail will not reconnect after you change the password
If you see an error message or Mail stops working after you change the password, the most common cause is a typo. Go back to Settings, Mail, Accounts, select your account, tap Account, and check the password field. Make sure there are no extra spaces at the beginning or end, and that capital letters match what you set.
If the password is correct but Mail still will not work, try removing the account and adding it back. Go to Settings, Mail, Accounts, select the account, scroll to the bottom, and tap Delete Account. Then tap Add Account, choose your email provider, and enter your email address and new password. This forces your iPhone to re-authenticate with the email server.
Two-factor authentication and app passwords
If your email account has two-factor authentication turned on, entering your regular password in Mail may not work. Instead, your email provider requires you to create an app password — a separate, temporary password just for Mail and other apps.
For Gmail, you generate an app password through your Google Account settings on a computer or phone browser. For Outlook, you do the same through your Microsoft account. For iCloud, you create an app-specific password in Settings on your iPhone or through iCloud.com. Yahoo and other providers have similar systems. Check your email provider's support page if you are not sure where to find this option.
Once you have the app password, enter that in Settings instead of your regular password. Your iPhone will use the app password to stay connected to Mail.
Changing your password on the email provider's website instead
You can also change your email password by logging into your email account on a computer or phone browser. Go to your email provider's website, sign in, and look for account settings or security settings. Most providers have a "Change password" or "Update password" option there.
If you change your password on the website, you will need to update it in Settings on your iPhone too. Follow the same steps: Settings, Mail, Accounts, select your account, tap Account, then Password. Enter the new password and tap Done.
Why your iPhone needs the correct password
Your iPhone stores your email password so it can check for new messages without asking you to sign in every time. When you change your password, your iPhone's stored version becomes outdated. If you do not update it in Settings, Mail will not be able to connect to the email server, and you will stop receiving messages.
This is also why it matters that the password in Settings matches exactly what you set at your email provider. Even a single wrong character will cause the connection to fail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my email password on iPhone without using Settings?
No, you must update the password in Settings for Mail to work. You can change the password itself through your email provider's website or app, but you still need to enter the new password in Settings afterward so your iPhone can reconnect.
What if I forgot my email password?
Use your email provider's password recovery option on their website. Most providers let you reset your password by confirming your identity through a recovery email or phone number. Once you have set a new password, enter it in Settings on your iPhone.
Do I need to change the password on all my devices?
You only need to change the password in Settings on each device where you use Mail. Your computer, iPad, and iPhone each store the password separately, so you will need to update each one. The password itself is the same across all devices.
Will changing my email password delete my emails on my iPhone?
No, changing the password will not delete any emails. Your messages stay on your iPhone and on the email provider's server. The password change only affects whether Mail can connect to download new messages.
What if I see a message about an insecure password?
Some email providers flag passwords that are weak or commonly used. If you see this warning, create a stronger password with a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Then update it in Settings on your iPhone.