Open Settings and find your email account
To change your email password on an iPhone, start by opening the Settings app. Scroll down and tap Mail, then tap Accounts. You will see a list of all email accounts connected to your phone. Tap the account whose password you want to change.
Once you tap the account, you will see the account details page. At the top, you will see the email address and account type (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or another provider). Below that are options including Account and Advanced. The exact steps from here depend on which email provider you use, because each one handles password changes differently on iPhone.
Key Takeaways
- Changing your email password on iPhone usually means updating it in Settings > Mail > Accounts, not through the email app itself.
- Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and other providers each require you to change the password through their own website or app first, then update it in iPhone Settings.
- After you change your password at the provider's website, iPhone will prompt you to enter the new password the next time it tries to sync your email.
- If you do not update the password in iPhone Settings, your email will stop syncing and you will see an error message asking for your password.
Change your password through your email provider's website first
Before you update anything in iPhone Settings, you must change your password through your email provider's website. iPhone does not let you change the actual password from the phone — it only stores and uses the password you create elsewhere. Open a web browser on your computer or another device and go to your email provider's website (Gmail.com, Outlook.com, Yahoo.com, or wherever your account is hosted).
Log in to your account and look for security or account settings. In Gmail, this is usually under your profile picture in the top right, then Manage your Google Account > Security. In Outlook, go to account.microsoft.com and select Security. In Yahoo, select your profile picture and then Account info > Security. Each provider's layout is different, but all of them have a section where you can change your password. Create a new password and save it.
Update the password in iPhone Mail Settings
After you have changed your password at your email provider's website, go back to your iPhone. Open Settings > Mail > Accounts and tap the email account you just changed the password for. Tap Account (or sometimes labeled with your email address).
You will see a field labeled Password. Tap on it and delete the old password, then type in the new password you just created. Tap Done or Save at the top right. Your iPhone will verify the new password with your email provider's servers. If the password is correct, the account will sync normally. If it is incorrect, you will see an error message.
What happens if you do not update the password right away
If you change your email password at your provider's website but do not update it in iPhone Settings, your email will stop working on your phone. The next time iPhone tries to sync your email (usually within a few minutes), it will use the old password stored in Settings, which will fail. You will see a notification saying something like "Mail could not verify your identity" or "Password incorrect."
When this happens, go back to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap your account, and update the password as described above. Your email will resume syncing once the new password is entered correctly. This is normal and not a sign that anything is broken — it just means the phone and the email provider are out of sync.
Troubleshooting if the password will not save
Sometimes iPhone will not accept your new password even though you know it is correct. This usually means one of two things: either you typed it wrong, or your email provider requires you to use an app-specific password instead of your main account password.
Gmail and Outlook both let you create special passwords just for apps and devices if you have two-factor security turned on. If you set up two-factor on your Gmail account, you cannot use your regular password in iPhone Mail — you have to create an app password first. Go to your Gmail security settings, find App passwords, and generate one for iPhone Mail. Then use that app password in iPhone Settings instead of your main password. Outlook works the same way if you have two-factor enabled.
If you forgot your email password entirely
If you cannot remember your email password, you will need to reset it through your email provider's website before you can update it on your iPhone. Go to your provider's login page (Gmail.com, Outlook.com, Yahoo.com) and look for a link that says "Forgot password?" or "Can't sign in?" Click it and follow the recovery steps, which usually involve confirming your identity through a backup email or phone number.
Once you have reset your password and confirmed you can log in on a computer, then follow the steps above to update it in iPhone Settings. Do not try to change the password in iPhone Settings first — you have to reset it at the provider's website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to change my password on other devices too?
Yes. Any device or app that uses your email account will need the new password. This includes your computer, tablet, work email client, or any other phone. Each device stores the old password separately, so you will need to update it in each place. If you do not, those devices will also stop syncing your email.
Will changing my email password delete my emails from my iPhone?
No. Changing your password does not delete any emails. Your emails stay on your phone and in your email account. The password change only affects whether your phone can sync new emails going forward. Once you update the password in Settings, syncing will resume and you will receive new emails normally.
What if I see a message saying "certificate error" or "cannot verify server"?
This usually means your iPhone cannot reach your email provider's servers, not that your password is wrong. Check that you have an internet connection (WiFi or cellular data). If you do have internet, try turning WiFi off and on, or restarting your phone. If the error persists, your email provider may be having temporary server problems — wait a few minutes and try again.
Can I change my password using the Mail app instead of Settings?
No. The Mail app on iPhone does not have a password change feature. You must change your password through your email provider's website, then update it in iPhone Settings. The Mail app only lets you read and send emails, not manage account security.