Change your password directly in the iPhone Settings app

You change your email password on iPhone through the Settings app, not through the email app itself. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, or another email provider, but the process is the same: you go into Settings, find your account, and update the password there. This tells your iPhone the new password so it can keep checking your email without getting locked out.

The fastest way is to change the password on a computer or web browser first, then update it on your iPhone. This prevents your iPhone from getting stuck trying to use an old password. But if you only have your iPhone available, you can change it directly in Settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, tap Mail, then Accounts, select your email account, and tap Account to find the password field.
  • You must enter your new password in the iPhone settings for the email app to work after you change it elsewhere.
  • If your email account uses two-factor authentication, you may need to generate an app-specific password instead of using your main password.
  • After you update the password, give your iPhone a few minutes to sync — you may see a brief error message while it reconnects.
  • If the email app stops working after a password change, delete the account from Settings and add it back with the new password.

Steps to update your password in Settings

Step 1: Open Settings and scroll down to find Mail. Tap it.

Step 2: Tap Accounts at the top of the Mail settings screen. You will see a list of all email accounts on your iPhone.

Step 3: Select the email account you want to change the password for. Tap it once.

Step 4: Tap Account at the bottom of the screen. This opens the detailed account settings where the password field lives.

Step 5: Tap the password field and delete the old password completely. Type your new password and tap Done or Save (the button name varies by iOS version).

Step 6: Wait a few seconds for your iPhone to reconnect to the email server with the new password. You may see a brief notification that says "Verifying" or a temporary error — this is normal.

What to do if you use Gmail or Microsoft Outlook

Gmail and Outlook accounts on iPhone often use a different system called app-specific passwords instead of your main account password. This is a security feature that prevents your main password from being stored on your phone. If you changed your Gmail or Outlook password and your iPhone email app stopped working, you likely need to generate an app-specific password instead.

For Gmail: Go to myaccount.google.com on a computer, click Security on the left, scroll to "App passwords" (you must have two-factor authentication turned on), select Mail and iPhone, and Google will generate a 16-character password. Use that 16-character password in your iPhone Settings instead of your regular Gmail password.

For Outlook: Go to account.microsoft.com on a computer, click Security, then "Advanced security options," and look for "App passwords." Generate a new one for Mail on iPhone and use that in your Settings instead of your regular Outlook password.

If your email app shows an error after changing your password

Sometimes your iPhone keeps trying to use the old password even after you update it in Settings. If you see repeated error messages like "Cannot Get Mail" or "The password for [your email] is incorrect," the fastest fix is to remove the account and add it back.

Step 1: Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts and select the account that is not working.

Step 2: Tap Delete Account at the bottom and confirm. This removes it from your iPhone but does not delete your actual email.

Step 3: Go back to Mail settings and tap "Add Account." Select your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, etc.).

Step 4: Enter your email address and new password when prompted. Your iPhone will verify the password and reconnect.

How to change your iCloud password specifically

If you use an iCloud email address (@icloud.com or @me.com), changing the password works slightly differently because iCloud controls your entire Apple account, not just email. When you change your iCloud password, it changes for everything — your email, your Apple ID, your backups, and any other Apple services.

Go to Settings > [Your Name] at the very top > Password & Security > Change Password. Enter your current password, then type your new password twice. Your iPhone will update automatically, and you do not need to change anything in Mail settings separately.

If you have other devices (iPad, Mac, Apple Watch), you will need to sign in with the new password on each one. This usually happens automatically within a few minutes, but you can speed it up by going to Settings and signing out, then signing back in with the new password.

Why your iPhone needs the new password in Settings

Your iPhone stores your email password in Settings so it can check for new messages in the background without asking you every time. When you change your password on the email provider's website or app, the email server rejects the old password your iPhone is still using. Updating the password in Settings tells your iPhone the new one so it can keep working.

This is why you might see error messages for a few hours after changing your password — your iPhone is still trying to use the old one until you update Settings. Once you enter the new password in Settings, the errors should stop within a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my email password without a computer?

Yes. You can change your password directly on your iPhone by going to the email provider's website in Safari (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) and using their password reset page. Then update the new password in Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Account] > Account. This works for any email provider.

What if I forgot my password and cannot change it?

Use your email provider's password reset page on Safari. For Gmail, go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery. For Outlook, go to account.live.com/password/reset. For Yahoo, go to login.yahoo.com and click "Trouble signing in." Follow the recovery steps, then update the new password in your iPhone Settings.

Will changing my password delete my emails on my iPhone?

No. Your emails stay on your iPhone. Changing the password only affects whether your iPhone can download new messages going forward. Once you update the password in Settings, your iPhone will start checking for new mail again.

Do I need to change my password on other devices too?

Yes. Any device that checks this email account — iPad, Mac, Android phone, etc. — will need the new password in its settings. Each device stores the password separately, so you must update each one. If you do not, those devices will stop receiving new emails.

Why does my iPhone keep asking for my password after I changed it?

This usually means the new password was not saved properly in Settings. Go back to Settings > Mail > Accounts > [Your Account] > Account and make sure the password field shows your new password, not the old one. Delete what is there and type the new password again, then tap Done.