How to Recover Your AOL Mail Account and Reset the Password

You cannot get into your AOL Mail, and you are not sure why. Maybe the password no longer works, the sign-in screen keeps reloading, or you have simply forgotten which AOL address you used. Whatever the symptom, the path back to your inbox is almost always the same handful of verified steps.

This guide walks through every reliable way to recover access and reset your AOL password, ordered from quickest and most common to the more involved fixes. It covers the web, the AOL/Yahoo mobile app, iPhone and iPad, Mac Mail, and Outlook for Windows.

Work through the sections in order. The first one solves the most common case, a forgotten or rejected password, so start there if you are locked out entirely.

If you cannot sign in at all, the Sign-in Helper is the fastest route. You will need access to a recovery phone number or alternate email already on the account.

1.Go to the Sign-in Helper at login.aol.com/forgot.
2.Enter one of the accepted recovery items: your sign-in email or phone number, your recovery email address, or your recovery phone number.
3.Click Continue.
4.Follow the prompts, which typically means choosing to receive a verification code, entering it to confirm your identity, then setting a new password.

One note before you start: this page requires JavaScript. If you see a message saying it cannot sign you in right now, enable JavaScript in your browser or switch browsers, then try again.

Change Your Password While Signed In on the Web

If you can still reach your inbox and just want a fresh password, you do not need the Sign-in Helper. Change it directly from your account settings.

1.Sign in to the AOL Account Security page at login.aol.com/myaccount/security.
2.Click Change password.
3.Enter a new password.
4.Click Continue.

That is all it takes. The new password applies immediately the next time you sign in.

Change Your Password Inside the Mobile App

You can also reset the password from the AOL or Yahoo Mail app on iOS or Android while signed in. Have your device passcode ready, since the app asks for it as a security check.

1.Tap the Menu or profile icon.
2.Tap Manage Accounts.
3.Tap Account info.
4.Tap Security settings.
5.Enter your device security code.
6.Tap Change password, enter a new password, and confirm.

If these in-app steps stall or fail, AOL recommends changing your password in your mobile browser instead, using the Account Security steps above.

Recover a Forgotten Username

If the problem is that you no longer remember which AOL address you used, the same Sign-in Helper can surface it from a linked recovery contact.

1.Go to login.aol.com/forgot.
2.Enter a recovery phone number or recovery email you can access.
3.Click Continue, then click "Yes, send me a verification code."
4.Enter the code sent to that phone or email and click Continue.
5.Select the account you want to sign in to.

Only accounts linked to the phone number or email you entered will appear. If the username you expected is not listed, that contact is not tied to it, so try a different recovery phone or email.

Sometimes the password is fine and something else is blocking you. Run through these quick checks before assuming the password itself is wrong.

For an "Invalid Password" error, confirm Caps Lock and Num Lock are off, then retype it carefully.
If you recently changed your password, update your browser's saved or autofill credentials so it stops entering the old one.
If the sign-in screen keeps looping, enter your username, click "Not you?", then re-enter your username and password and click Sign in.
If it still loops, clear your browser cookies, quit and restart the browser, or switch to a different supported browser. You can also try the Aol.com or AOL Mail sign-in pages.

If you suspect your password was changed without your permission, treat it as a possible compromise: use the Sign-in Helper to regain access, then review your account settings and recent activity to secure it.

Disable Account Key Before Setting a New Password

AOL and Yahoo share a sign-in system, and that system includes a feature called Account Key. If Account Key is turned on, you must disable it before you can set a new password. Turn it off from your Account Security settings first, then return to the reset or change steps above.

Account for 2-Step Verification and Mail Apps

If 2-step verification is enabled, your first sign-in from a new device or location will trigger a second verification code, which is expected behavior, not an error. You can manage 2-step verification from the Account Security page: click Turn on next to "2-Step Verification" to enable it (choosing a phone number or authenticator app), or click Manage and then Turn off to disable it.

The catch for mail apps: with 2-step verification on, third-party clients like Apple Mail and Outlook cannot use your normal password. They require an app password instead, covered next.

Generate an App Password for Third-Party Mail Clients

An app password is a separate credential you paste into a mail client in place of your normal password. Generate one whenever a desktop or mobile mail app stops connecting after a reset and you have 2-step verification on.

1.Sign in to the Account Security page at login.aol.com/myaccount/security.
2.Click Generate app password (or Generate and manage app passwords), then click Get Started.
3.Enter a name for the app and click Generate password.
4.Copy the password shown and use it as the password in your mail app.
5.Click Done.

Two things to know. The password is shown only once, so copy it carefully before clicking Done; you cannot view it again. AOL also recommends generating it in a browser you have signed into AOL Mail with for several days running, and avoiding private or incognito mode.

Re-authenticate AOL on iPhone or iPad

After a password change, Apple Mail on iOS often keeps prompting because it still holds the old password. Re-enter it through Settings. The navigation differs by iOS version.

1.On iOS 18, go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts, tap your AOL account, then tap Re-enter Password.
2.On iOS 17, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts, tap your AOL account, then tap Re-enter Password.
3.Enter your username and password and complete verification if prompted.

If 2-step verification is on, enter a freshly generated app password instead of your normal one. These steps assume an IMAP connection; if you use POP3 on iOS, AOL says to contact them directly. If re-entering the password does not stick, delete the account and add it back: choose AOL from the provider list when re-adding.

Re-enter the Password in Mac Mail and Outlook

Desktop clients hold their own copy of your password, so update it after any reset.

In Mac Mail, click Mail > Settings, select your AOL account, open the Server Settings tab, then delete and re-enter your password in the Password fields under both the Incoming and Outgoing Mail Server sections, and click Save. If Server Settings are not editable, remove and re-add the account.

In Outlook for Windows, click File > Account Settings icon > Manage Profiles > Email Accounts, double-click the AOL account, then remove and re-enter the password and confirm the status shows "Completed." Microsoft notes that after you change the password at AOL, Outlook will simply prompt you for the new one the next time it opens. Use an app password in either client if you have 2-step verification on.

Keep Your Recovery Info Current

Every reset method above depends on a working recovery phone or email. If both are out of date, you may be unable to recover the account at all, so update them while you still have access.

1.Sign in to the Account Security page at login.aol.com/myaccount/security and scroll to the bottom.
2.To add, select Add email or Add phone number and follow the prompts to verify it.
3.To replace, add and verify the new contact first, then click Remove next to the old one and confirm.

Always keep at least one valid recovery method on the account.

Frequently Asked Questions

I changed my main password, so why do my app passwords still work?

Changing or resetting your main AOL password does not invalidate existing app passwords. To revoke one, return to "Generate and manage app passwords" on the Account Security page, click Delete next to it, then confirm.

I have no access to my recovery phone or email. Can I still get in?

If both your recovery phone and email are out of date or inaccessible, recovery may not be possible, which is why keeping them current matters. Update them through Account Security as soon as you regain access.

My mail app stopped working right after I reset my password. What do I do?

The app is still holding the old credential. Re-enter the password in the app's settings, and if 2-step verification is on, generate a new app password and use that instead. If the field will not save, remove and re-add the account.

Do I need 2-factor authentication to add AOL to Outlook?

Yes. Microsoft states that AOL now requires 2-factor authentication to be enabled before you can add an AOL account to Outlook. Turn it on from the Account Security page, then use an app password in Outlook.

The in-app password change keeps failing. Is there another way?

Yes. AOL says that if the in-app steps do not work, change your password from your mobile browser instead by signing in to the Account Security page and using Change password.

Should I search the web for an AOL support phone number?

No. Search results for AOL support numbers can lead to scam sites. Go directly to help.aol.com for official help instead.