Can't sign into email (Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo): how to get back in
Not being able to sign into email is stressful, especially when that inbox holds bank alerts, bills and password resets. Most of the time the account is fine: the password is wrong, Caps Lock is on, the wrong account is selected, or a recovery code is sitting in spam. Work through these steps in order for Gmail, Outlook or Hotmail, and Yahoo. Type every web address yourself. Never call a number from a popup, and never give a code to someone who calls you.
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Steps
Decide which email you use. Gmail ends in @gmail.com. Outlook or Hotmail ends in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com or a work Microsoft address. Yahoo ends in @yahoo.com. The recovery site is different for each.
Type the real sign in page yourself. For Gmail type gmail.com or accounts.google.com. For Outlook or Hotmail type outlook.live.com. For Yahoo type login.yahoo.com. Do not tap a link from a text, a search ad or a popup that says your email is locked.
Check Caps Lock and the account name. Make sure Caps Lock is off. Confirm the email address shown is the one you meant. Many people have more than one Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo account and type the password for a different one.
If the password is wrong, click Forgot password, Forgot your password or Need help signing in on that same official page. Follow the prompts. Do not start over on a different site.
Choose Try another way when you see it. Recovery can use a phone number, a backup email, a prompt on your phone, or backup codes you saved earlier. Pick the option you still control.
Watch for the code. Check text messages, the recovery email inbox, and that inbox spam or junk folder. Codes can take a few minutes. Use only the newest code. Do not read a code out to anyone who calls or messages you.
Use a usual device and your home Wi-Fi when you can. Sign in works more often from a computer or phone you have used before. A new browser, a cleared computer or a hotel network can make recovery harder.
If you use 2-step verification or two-factor authentication and cannot get the prompt, choose Try another way on the official page and use a backup code, a text, or a recovery email. Keep those backup codes on paper somewhere safe after you get in.
Try the phone app and a different browser. Open the Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo Mail app on your phone, or try Chrome, Edge or Safari on the computer. If one path works, change the password right away while you are signed in.
Clear only the cookies for that site if the page keeps looping. In Chrome or Edge click the padlock or tune icon next to the address, open Cookies and site data, and delete data for google.com, live.com or yahoo.com. Then close the browser and try again.
After you get back in, set a new password you do not use anywhere else, add or update a recovery phone and recovery email, and turn on 2-step verification. Sign out of devices you do not recognize.
Never call a phone number from a popup, email or text that says your Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo is locked or hacked. Never give a verification code to a caller. Never install AnyDesk, TeamViewer or similar remote access software because someone asked. Real Google, Microsoft and Yahoo recovery is free and happens only on their own websites or apps.
Common questions
What if I forgot my Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo password?
Use Forgot password or Need help signing in on the official page you typed yourself: accounts.google.com for Gmail, account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx or outlook.live.com for Outlook or Hotmail, and login.yahoo.com for Yahoo. Follow the recovery phone or email steps there.
My account says it is locked, disabled or compromised. What now?
Stay on the official recovery flow. For a locked or hacked Gmail account, also see our deeper guide at /help/gmail-account-locked-or-hacked/. Do not call numbers from popups or search ads.
Outlook keeps asking for my password even after I type the right one. Is that the same problem?
Not always. A password prompt that returns again and again in the Outlook app is often a saved password or connection issue. See /help/outlook-keeps-asking-for-password/ for that loop. If you cannot sign in on the web at all, keep using the steps on this page.
I never get the recovery code. What should I try?
Confirm the phone number or recovery email still works, check spam and junk, wait a few minutes, request a new code, and try again from a usual device on home Wi-Fi. Old codes stop working once a new one is sent.
Can Ellis help me with this?
Yes. Ellis can talk you through each step by phone while you sit at your computer or phone, and will never ask for your passwords, codes or bank details. Ellis is an AI assistant, and it will tell you so.
Free human help is at capacity right now. If you want help while you fix this, Ellis, our AI assistant, can help you by phone now. The first 5 minutes are free when you call (928) 272-0355. If you want more time, phone help is $19 one time for up to 30 minutes, used over 14 days. No subscription. Ellis is an AI and can make mistakes.