So you just found out that your Gmail password is not working. In the ensuing panic, you might be wondering if you’ve been hacked or if you just don’t remember what the password is.
The good news is that you probably haven’t been hacked – Google sends notifications and warnings whenever someone logs in on a new device or changes your password, so unless you’ve been logged out for a while, that’s not possible.
Still, not having access to your email is a pain, and you may want to remedy the situation as soon as possible. Luckily, resetting your Gmail password from your computer or phone is very easy, as long as you set up the recovery method in place at the beginning – back up your email or phone number – and you’re ready to go.
Here’s how to reset Gmail password from your phone and computer.
How to reset your Gmail password and create a new one
Gmail may choose to give you a different primary authentication method by default, depending on what you set up. Follow the prompts to regain access to your account.
1. Go to the Gmail login screen on your device and enter the name of the account you want to recover. Click Next.
2. When it asks you to enter your password, click Forgot Password instead?
3. Gmail will then attempt to guide you through the various authentication methods on your account; For example, this could be an authenticator key or an option to send a notification to your phone. In the latter case, pressing Yes on the notification will let you reset your password.
4. If you don’t want to do a particular method or can’t do it for other reasons, click “Try another method” located at the bottom left of the window.
5. Assuming you’ve successfully verified your identity, Gmail will now ask you to set a new password. Try to choose something you won’t easily forget, or write it down in a safe place.
If nothing else, you may be asked to provide an email address that you currently have access to. Google will take the time to evaluate your issues individually and determine if they can help you recover your account. However, there is no guarantee that you will be able to recover your account this way.
