How to Reset Your Yahoo Mail Password

A mobile phone number or secondary email address is required

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on April 11, 2021
Reviewed by
Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger headshot
Reviewed by Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Reset your password, or create a new Yahoo Mail account.
  • To reset, select Forgot password and verify your identity via a different email address or text. Enter a new password.
  • No secondary email address or mobile number? Go to Yahoo Help for alternative verification methods.

This article explains how to reset your Yahoo email password on the desktop.

How to Reset Your Yahoo Email Password

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To reset your Yahoo Mail password, go to the Sign-In Helper page and complete the verification process that works best for you.

  1. Select Forgot password at the bottom of the sign-in page.

    Yahoo "Forgot password" link

  2. Select how you want to verify your account: via text, Gmail, or email.

    Yahoo Mail password reset verification

  3. If you chose the text option, enter your phone number and select Submit to receive a code. If you picked the email option, continue to the next step. If you chose Gmail, follow the prompts to log in to your Gmail account.

  4. Locate the verification code from the text or email, and enter it on Yahoo's site.

  5. Follow any other on-screen prompts.

Once you have successfully recovered access to your account, change the Yahoo Mail password to whatever you like (and will remember); it is best to use a strong email password.

If You Don't Have a Mobile Phone or Secondary Email Address

If you don't have access to either a secondary email address or phone number, you can't recover access to your Yahoo Mail account through the automated process.

Your next step is to seek help from Yahoo Help. Yahoo support may ask for information to verify your identity, such as contacts in your Yahoo Mail address book.

If you are unable to access your Yahoo Mail account using a mobile phone number, a secondary email address, Gmail, or Yahoo help, you might have to abandon your old Yahoo Mail account and create a new one.

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