How to Reset Your Yahoo! Email Password

Image of an male hand with Password written on
Jonathan Knowles / Getty Images
by Heinz Tschabitscher
An independent writer who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
Updated November 19, 2018

It's a familiar scene: You know you might have an important message waiting for you in your Yahoo! Mail account — but you can't seem to get your password right.

If you have not also forgotten the answers to your secret questions, or if you have a secondary email address added to your Yahoo! Mail account, you can fix the forgotten-password conundrum in short order. Yahoo! won't actually send you your password; rather, you'll be directed to reset it. This entails a couple of extra steps, but it's a more secure solution.

Reset Your Forgotten Yahoo! Mail Password

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Resetting your Yahoo! Mail password is simple. You begin by going to the Sign-In Helper page, and then complete the process using the verification method that works best for you.

  1. Open the Yahoo! Sign-in Helper page.

    Screenshot of the Yahoo sign-in helper page

  2. Enter your Yahoo! Mail email address or your phone number.

    You don't have to include the @yahoo.com part of your email address.

  3. Click Continue. Yahoo! Mail's sign-in helper will now walk you through the reset options.

If you have a mobile number associated with the account and can access text messages received there:

Screenshot of the Yahoo sign-in helper page if you have access to your phone number

  1. Click Yes, text me an Account Key under Do you have access to this phone?. If you're unable to receive or see text messages at that number, make sure you choose I don't have access to this phone so you get other options for resetting your forgotten Yahoo! Mail password.

  2. You'll receive an account key by text within a couple minutes. Enter it under Verify that you have this phone.

  3. Click Verify.

If you have a secondary email address associated with your Yahoo! Mail account:

  1. Click Yes, send me an Account Key under Do you have access to this email?. If you suspect somebody may be reading your email or if you cannot receive messages at the address anymore, click I don't have access to this email instead.

    Screenshot of the Yahoo sign-in helper page if you have access to your secondary email account

  2. Type the account key you got by email under Verify that you have access to this email.

  3. Click Verify.

If you do not have access to either a secondary email address or phone number, Yahoo! may ask you for other information to verify your identity, such as contacts in your Yahoo! Mail address book.

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

If the Automated Process Fails

If you have run out of options for Yahoo! Mail to verify your account automatically, there is very little you can do without additional help from Yahoo!. You can try posting about your situation to the Yahoo! Help Community, where Yahoo! employees gather information:

  3. You can post to the Password and sign-in forum to add your feedback. You may have to create a Yahoo! Help Community account to post. ​

Do not post any personal information, such as the Yahoo! Mail email address for which you have forgotten the password, phone numbers, remembered passwords, or anything similar.