How to Change Your AOL Mail Password

This article explains how to change your AOL Mail password using a browser or an iOS mobile device. It includes tips for selecting a new password.

Change Your AOL Mail Password in a Web Browser

Change your AOL Mail password if you suspect your account has been hacked, want to change your password to something stronger and more difficult to deduce, or want your AOL password to be something you can easily remember. When it's time to change your current password, make the change in your AOL account information screen.

To alter the password for your AOL Mail account using a web browser on your computer:

1. Click your name (located in the upper-right corner of the screen) to open the account information screen.

2. Go to the left panel and select Account Security.

3. Go to the How you sign in section and select Change password.

4. Sign again and complete a test to prove you're not a robot.

5. Enter a new password in the New password field. As you enter a new password, AOL evaluates it for strength. Click Continue to save.

   Choose a password that is both difficult to guess and easy to remember.

6. Click Continue on the success screen.

7. If the password looks good, the change is made immediately. You are given a chance to add a recovery email address or recovery phone number, which is recommended but not required.

Change Your AOL Mail Password in iOS

If you use the AOL app to access your AOL mail on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, change your password in the app.

1. With the app open to your mail, select the menu button in the upper-left corner.

2. Choose Settings & privacy.

3. Select Manage accounts at the top.

4. Tap Account Info next to the account for which you want the password changed.

5. Select Security Settings.

   You may need to enter your phone password or otherwise authenticate to continue.

6. Choose Change password.

7. Enter a new password and then tap Continue.

Tips for Choosing and Using a New Password

Long passwords are harder to crack than short passwords and are harder to remember. Here are a few tips:

• Use a brief complete sentence you can remember, and leave out the spaces between words.
• Use the first letter of each word of a longer sentence.
• Use two or more numbers or special characters. Add these at the beginning or end of the sentence or phrase or in the middle if you can remember their placement.
• Keep it relatively simple. If you have to write down your password, you lose a lot of your security.
• Change your password regularly. Every three or six months is a good practice.
• AOL requires at least eight letters in a password and recommends using special characters such as !@#% but doesn't require these.

Even if you use strong passwords and change them periodically, they don't protect you from keyloggers on your computer or people who peek over your shoulder as you type your password. Add two-step verification, run anti-virus software regularly, and be aware of your surroundings when accessing your mail in public settings.