A secure password and updated recovery info help protect your Google Account.
Step 1: Create a strong password
A strong password helps you:
- Keep your personal info safe
- Protect your emails, files, and other content
- Prevent someone else from getting in to your account
Meet password requirements
Create your password using 8 characters or more. It can be any combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
You can't use a password that:
- Is particularly weak. Example: "password123"
- You've used before on your account
Follow tips for a good password
A strong password can be memorable to you but nearly impossible for someone else to guess. Learn what makes a good password, then follow these tips to create your own.
Use a different password for each of your important accounts, like your email and online banking.
Reusing passwords for important accounts is risky. If someone gets your password for one account, they could access your email, address, and even your money.
Tip: If you have trouble remembering multiple passwords, learn how to use a tool to manage your saved passwords.
Long passwords are stronger. These tips can help you create longer passwords that are easier to remember. Try using:
- A lyric from a song or poem
- A meaningful quote from a movie or speech
- A passage from a book
- A series of words that are meaningful to you
- An abbreviation: Make a password from the first letter of each word in a sentence
Avoid choosing passwords that could be guessed by:
- People who know you
- People looking at easily accessible info (like your social media profile)
Passwords with different types of symbols might be more difficult for people to guess, but also might be harder for you to remember. You can set up recovery info to avoid getting locked out if you forget your password.
Combine different types of characters
Use a mix of alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers) and symbols:
- Uppercase (capital) letters. Examples: A, E, R
- Lowercase (small) letters. Examples: a, e, r
- Numbers. Examples: 2, 6, 7
- Symbols and special characters. Examples: ! @ & *
Recommendations & examples
Replace letters with numbers & symbols: Choose a word or phrase and use numbers and symbols instead of some letters. Examples:
- "Spooky Halloween" becomes "sPo0kyH@ll0w3En"
- "Later gator" becomes "L8rg@+0R"
Abbreviate a sentence: Come up with a sentence and use the first letter of each word. Example:
- "Uncle Peter always ate chocolate-covered everything" becomes "uP@8cCe!"
Avoid personal info & common words
Don’t use personal info
Avoid creating passwords from info that others might know or could easily find out. Examples:
- Your nickname or initials
- The name of your child or pet
- Important birthdays or years
- The name of your street
- Numbers from your address
Don’t use common words & patterns
Avoid simple words, phrases, and patterns that are easy to guess. Examples:
- Obvious words and phrases like "password" or "letmein"
- Sequences like "abcd" or "1234"
- Keyboard patterns like "qwerty" or "qazwsx"
- Any examples in this article, like "sPo0kyH@ll0w3En" or "uP@8cCe!"
Keep passwords secure
After you create a strong password, take steps to keep it safe.
Hide written passwords
If you need to write your password down, don’t leave it on your computer or desk. Make sure any written passwords are stored somewhere that’s secret or locked.
Manage your passwords with a tool
If you have trouble remembering multiple passwords, consider using a trusted password manager. Take some time to research the reviews and reputations of these services.
You can also use Chrome to save passwords for you.
Step 2: Be prepared if someone gets your password
Your recovery info is used to help you in case we detect unusual activity in your account.
Add a recovery email address
- Go to your Google Account.
- On the left navigation panel, click Personal info.
- On the Contact info panel, click Email.
- Click Add Recovery Email.
Add a recovery phone number
- Go to your Google Account.
- On the left navigation panel, click Personal info.
- On the Contact info panel, click Phone.
- Click Add Recovery Phone.
Recovery info can be used to help you:
- Find out if someone else is using your account
- Take back your account if someone else knows your password
- Get in to your account if you forget your password or can’t sign in for another reason
Make your account more secure
Get personalized advice to improve your account’s security.