Where to find the password settings on your iPhone

Your iPhone stores passwords in two places, and which one you need depends on what you're changing. The Settings app holds your Apple ID password and your screen lock code. The Passwords app (or the Passwords section inside Settings) holds passwords you've saved for websites and other apps.

To change your Apple ID password or screen lock code, open Settings and tap your name at the top. To change a saved website password, open Settings, scroll down to Passwords, and tap Passwords again. Both routes take about two minutes once you're in the right place.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Apple ID password lives in Settings under your name at the top; changing it requires your current password and takes you through a verification step.
  • Your screen lock code (Face ID, Touch ID, or numeric passcode) is also in Settings under your name, in the Password & Security section.
  • Passwords you've saved for websites and apps are stored in the Passwords app or in Settings > Passwords, and you can edit them one at a time.
  • If you forget your Apple ID password, you'll need to use your recovery email or phone number to reset it before you can change it to something new.
  • Changing your Apple ID password signs you out of iCloud on all your devices, so you'll need to sign back in afterward.

How to change your Apple ID password

Open Settings and tap your name at the very top of the screen. Then tap Password & Security. You'll see an option that says "Change Password" — tap it. Your iPhone will ask you to enter your current Apple ID password to confirm it's really you.

Type in your current password, then tap "Change Password" again. Now enter your new password twice to confirm you've typed it correctly. Your new password should be at least eight characters long and include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and a symbol. Once you tap "Change," your password updates when ready.

After you change your Apple ID password, you'll be signed out of iCloud on all your devices. You'll need to sign back in using your new password on each device where you use iCloud — your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. This is normal and a security feature to make sure no one else has access to your account.

How to change your screen lock code or Face ID

Your screen lock protects everything on your phone. To change it, go to Settings, tap your name, then tap Password & Security. You'll see "Change Passcode" near the top. Tap it and enter your current passcode or use Face ID or Touch ID to verify it's you.

Now enter your new passcode twice. You can use a six-digit code (the default), a custom numeric code, or a custom alphanumeric code with letters and numbers. Most people stick with six digits because it's fast to type and hard to guess. Once you confirm your new code, it takes effect right away.

If you use Face ID or Touch ID, you don't need to change anything else — your biometric data stays the same. Your new passcode is just a backup in case Face ID or Touch ID doesn't work. You'll still use your face or fingerprint to unlock your phone most of the time.

How to change a saved website or app password

Open the Passwords app (it looks like a key) or go to Settings > Passwords. You'll see a list of all the passwords your iPhone has saved. Find the website or app you want to change and tap it. You'll see the username and password for that account.

Tap "Edit" in the top right corner. Now you can change the password field. Delete the old password and type in your new one. Tap "Done" when you're finished. Your iPhone saves the change right away, but this only updates the password stored on your phone — it doesn't change the password on the actual website or app.

After you update the password in your iPhone, you need to go to the website or app itself and change the password there too. For example, if you change your Gmail password in iPhone's Passwords app, you still need to go to Gmail.com and change it in your Google account. The two are separate, and your phone won't know about the change unless you tell it.

What to do if you forget your current password

If you forget your Apple ID password, you can't change it from Settings — you have to reset it first. Go to iforgot.apple.com on any device and enter your Apple ID email address. Apple will send you a link to your recovery email or let you answer security questions you set up when you created your account.

Once you've verified your identity, you can create a brand new password. Then go back to your iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Password & Security, and tap "Change Password." Enter the temporary password Apple sent you, then create your permanent password the same way you would normally.

If you forget your screen lock passcode, you'll need to erase your iPhone and set it up again. There's no way to recover a forgotten passcode without erasing the device. This is why Apple makes you enter your passcode regularly — to help you remember it.

Why your iPhone asks for verification when you change passwords

When you change your Apple ID password, your iPhone asks you to enter your current password first. This is a security step that makes sure someone who picked up your phone can't just walk into Settings and lock you out of your own account. It takes an extra 10 seconds but protects you from that risk.

The same goes for your screen lock passcode — you have to enter the old one before you can set a new one. If someone steals your phone and tries to change your passcode, they'll be stuck at this step. These verification steps are annoying sometimes, but they're the reason your passwords stay yours.

Passwords you should change regularly

Your Apple ID password should change if you think someone else knows it, if you've used the same password on multiple websites, or if you haven't changed it in over a year. Your screen lock passcode should change if you think someone watched you enter it or if you've used the same code for several years.

Website and app passwords are less urgent unless you've reused them across multiple sites. If you use the same password for your email, your bank, and your social media, change the important ones (email and bank) right away. Your iPhone can generate strong, unique passwords for you — when you create a new account, look for the "Suggest Strong Password" option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my Apple ID password sign me out of everything?

Yes. Changing your Apple ID password signs you out of iCloud on all your devices — your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. You'll need to sign back in with your new password on each device. This usually takes a few minutes per device and is a normal part of the process.

Can I change my password without entering my old one?

No. For your Apple ID password and screen lock passcode, you must enter the old one first. This is a security feature that prevents someone else from changing your passwords if they get hold of your phone. For saved website passwords, you can edit them without entering the old one, but that only changes what's stored on your phone.

What happens if I change my password and then forget the new one?

For your Apple ID password, go to iforgot.apple.com and reset it using your recovery email or security questions. For your screen lock passcode, you'll have to erase your iPhone and set it up again — there's no other way to recover a forgotten passcode. This is why it helps to write down new passwords somewhere safe until you've used them a few times.

Do I need to change my password if I sell my iPhone?

Yes. Before you sell or give away your iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, and tap "Sign Out." This removes your Apple ID from the device. The new owner will need to sign in with their own Apple ID. You should also change your Apple ID password afterward as an extra security step, especially if the new owner is someone you don't know well.

Why does my iPhone keep asking me to update my password?

Your iPhone may prompt you to change your password if Apple detects that your password was part of a data breach on another website, or if you haven't signed into iCloud in a long time. These prompts are security alerts. You can usually dismiss them temporarily, but it's safer to change your password when prompted.