Can I change my AOL password at AOL.com?

I really don't want to have AOL software on my new Sony Vaio laptop, but I do occasionally need to get to my AOL account to check mail, etc. I can do that via their web site, no worries, but here's what I'm wondering: can I actually change my password and do all that other administrative stuff through their Web site, or does that require the actual AOL software package?

Dave's Answer:

It turns out that you can indeed change your account password and manage your account by using the AOL.com web site, but only if you're running a PC. For reasons that I find inexplicable, if you try to do this with your Mac, running any browser at all, it'll get to a certain point and then tell you that you need a PC. I think it's a conspiracy funded by Redmond, personally. :-)

Anyway, on with the explanation! When you go to America Online's Web site, on the top right you'll either have a signin link that includes your account name (if you've ever signed on before) or a generic "sign in" message. Here's what I get:

When I click on it, I then have the chance to enter my account and password pair:

Fill that in, and you're now signed in to their (quite slick) Web based interface to the AOL service. There's precious little you can't do with the Web interface, so if you are an AOL fan, you should check things out while you're logged in.

Near the top is a set of primary navigation options, just below the search box:

Click on "My Account" and you'll be asked for your security question, to confirm that you're really you since you don't want anyone else tweaking your settings. That'll look like this:

My favorite film is ... oh, yeah, let's skip that part of this article, okay? :-)

Once you've verified your identity with AOL, you can now get one step closer to changing your AOL password. Here are the My Account settings you can access:

AOL.com Web site: My Account settings and options

Almost there. Now click on "Password Reset" and you'll be able to change your password to anything you'd like:

AOL.com Web site: change password on AOL

Perosnally, I recommend you change your password at least every three months, and make it tough to guess!!

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Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics , Windows PC Help (Article 6768, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: america online, aol, aol password
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Reader Comments To Date: 48

Angela said, on August 25, 2006 2:27 PM:

Please tell me how I can take off the guest signer off my computer. I donot want anyone else using my account!

MaRy said, on October 11, 2006 7:00 PM:

what happens when "my account" isn't under web, video news etc. It won't let me change my password!!!

sara said, on October 21, 2006 4:50 PM:

I'm with MARy: "what happens when "my account" isn't under web, video news etc. It won't let me change my password!!!" ??

Amanda said, on October 30, 2006 8:14 PM:

I don't see the "My Account" link under the search bar on aol.com. Any suggestions?

tia said, on November 22, 2006 9:41 PM:

hey where's the "my account" icon??????? i dont see it

Erik said, on November 28, 2006 12:47 PM:

Thanks for the help Dave but AOL must have changed since you posted this about changing your aol password. I have a HP Lap top and it doesn't show "my account" when you sign into aol.com.

isaac padgett said, on November 29, 2006 7:24 PM:

i wont a screen name and password

Cynthia said, on January 29, 2007 12:47 PM:

I have managed to change my password, but would also like to change the account name. It is currently under the name of my spouse. I would like to keep my screen name, remove it from my spouse's account, and create an account of my own. Is this possible?

Marshall Place said, on February 11, 2007 10:22 PM:

https://my.screenname.aol.com/snsHomePage.psp

Sign in at that page and you should be able to modify your account password and various other settings.

devyn said, on February 13, 2007 9:22 PM:

ok well im trying to do the whole "change my password" as well but seemed to have run into a few problems. i also could not find the 'my account' link so instead followed the link posted above. it did in fact let me change my password but the old one still works as well as the new one (weird)....ANY SUGGESTIONS on how to delete the old one? THANKS....

H. Rabinovich said, on March 12, 2007 7:18 AM:

My primary account is OK. I know my password. I forgot the password for my second aol account. My preference would be to use the same password for both accounts, When I attempt to make the change for my second account, I am asked for the original password for that second account - which I forgot.

slicknan080255 said, on May 21, 2007 9:55 AM:

want to change my aolpassword but don'know how to do it can you help thankyou for you time two other people use computer not just myself

blanch brown said, on May 22, 2007 4:19 PM:

i want to cancel my aol service. icant afford it

gus said, on July 16, 2007 11:17 AM:

i lost my security question answer....how do i go around it or how do i fix this?

destinee said, on August 31, 2007 6:33 PM:

hey i want to no if i can change my passwoed to my aol so it will let me on ?

jessica said, on September 23, 2007 2:45 PM:

im trying to change my password for aol but when i go to the toolbar it will not allow me to go into settings what do i do and how do i end up changing it.people are checking my mail that dont know my password. thank you Jessi

Carla Clise said, on October 24, 2007 5:51 PM:

All of a sudden today my password stopped working and I can't get to my mail. Please fix the problem. Thanks

dawn said, on November 8, 2007 8:49 PM:

how do i change my password when i am not the account holder? I am an add-on to the account and i need to change my password...SOEMONE IS CHECKING MY EMAIL!!!!

Dave please advise.. I am so tired of trying to figure this out!!

ace said, on December 14, 2007 12:55 AM:

I forgot my password and know my question but it goes right to live help and they ask for my mom because the account is under her name and she is in a diffrent state.. so how do i get to MY sec Question without that live help? if you can email me back at my yahoo address.. ace420ace82@yahoo.com

SYLVIA said, on December 20, 2007 5:53 PM:

EVERYTIME I TURN COMPUTER ON, IT SAYS "INVALID PASSWORD" AND I HAVE TO RE-CREATE A PASSWORD. WHY??

karen said, on January 4, 2008 8:30 PM:

I AM TRYING TO CHANGE MY PASSWORD CAUSE I FORGOT WHAT IT IS TO GET IN MY E-MAIL SO I NEED HELP TO CHANGE IT.

sarah87 said, on February 24, 2008 4:37 PM:

I was on aol trying to sign in on my old account, but I forgot my password. I thought it would ask me my security question but all it said was another password was sent to my email. I don't understand, if I cant log into my account, how am I suppose to retrieve the new password they sent me? So weird. Is it because I don't have AOL as my internet company anymore or because I haven't signed in for a long time?

linda Willoughby said, on May 10, 2008 3:20 PM:

I cannot remember my password and your puzzles aren't helping me. you used to be able to chat with a tech or make a phone call and talk to one live. can you still do that?

maria said, on July 11, 2008 7:28 PM:

Hi, i have forgoten my security answer to question it has been many years! now what?

carol ovitt said, on November 18, 2008 6:22 AM:

I can't remember my password. It will not allow me to reset it.

Adolfo John Rodriguez said, on November 21, 2008 11:36 AM:

I need to reset my password?????????

felicia johnson said, on December 16, 2008 7:36 PM:

I can get on line with aol and surf the web, but it will not even show me the password slot and user name slot to sign in for e-mails. When I click "mail," nothing happens. I cannot retrieve e-mails so I don't know how I will learn to do in this situation. Additionally, I cannot "contact" any site that says "contact" because it just won't send.

marissa said, on February 9, 2009 6:55 PM:

i recently got a mac and i dont use aol anymore its another program called adium, but pryer to me getting a mac i was not able to change my password on aol. and when i sign on it says my name is signed on in another location i am not on in other locations but now i cant change my password it says i have to call AOL.

Nancy said, on March 21, 2009 1:31 PM:

some how my email doe'snt have the same password
there's a glich in the system with aol. my screen name has always been the same & the password. Now i cant have any asscess . help

Jeffrey said, on March 27, 2009 11:45 AM:

I need to change my aol password.

mary said, on April 14, 2009 2:03 PM:

HI,I have a big problem with aol. I,have a buissnee email adress. Its driving me nuts. I,go on and sign my name ask for my passwors and it will not take it. So, I go into that forget my password thing. It gives you the letters and then at the end it says ask for your date of birth I,put my birthday in and the year I,was born and
it tells me its mis tyoed or invalid. Its like the hole thing is frozen. Cam anyone please help me. How to talk to aol. I,am on wireless computer
not the dial phone one.

Terence said, on June 24, 2009 4:47 AM:

My wife cannot change her password for AOL.We do not have the AOL software from their CD on our computers.I am the master screen name, but I can change mine, even though AOL support said it could only be done via their software. AOL have given my wife a new password over the phone, but that is now no longer secure as the guy knows it.
Please help!

amanda said, on June 24, 2009 2:11 PM:

i need my password

Brenda said, on July 8, 2009 11:33 AM:

Dave,

I have tried to change my password, but I get that they don't have enough information. I have a free aol account through time warner.
When I called aol, they excepted my account security question answer, but when i try to change it myself, it will not except my answer.
Then, it ask for my account information and a 4
digit payment no., but mine is free.
How do I change my password or reset it and get past this?
They suggest you change your password but you can't get to anyone to speak to, to let them know your problem.
Is there anything I can do?

jackie said, on September 19, 2009 12:39 PM:

I FORGOT MY PASSWORD CAN YOU HELP ME FIND IT OR CHANGE IT SO I CAN GET MY MAIL.?

Ian said, on January 1, 2010 7:31 PM:

I want to change my password but cannot remember my secret question. I click on the 'forgot the answer' and enter in the numerical and letter code and it says I am not able to change my password. Please help me so I can change my password.

Charles Barnette said, on February 26, 2010 4:36 PM:

I have bundled services with AT&T but use AOL frequently.My tool bar comes up, I click AOL under favorites and go immediately to AOL web page. To sign in I use midwaybarney55 as screen name and 1954usn as pass word. Can no longer access AOL this way. WHY?

Chris said, on July 16, 2010 6:52 PM:

I'm trying to reset my aol password but I get "Password Reset Unsuccessful. We're sorry. We do not have enough information to reset your password. If you are unable to remember it you will need to create a new username."
My account has security questions but it won't take me to the page to answer them. What can I do?

robert harvey said, on July 22, 2010 5:48 AM:

When I change my aol password on my home computer, it does not change on my work PC or on other PC's that I have used to check my aol mail. I can still open my aol accout on these away from home computers that I have used and saved my previous password.

Must I go and change passwords on these other computers directly?

Thanks in advance
R. Harvey

charli said, on August 20, 2010 9:34 AM:

I have forgotten the answer to my security question. I've tried to reset it but the thing keeps saying my info cannot be authenticated. I'm trying to do the reset from my android phone. Is that the problem? Do I need a pc?

sondra guzman said, on October 6, 2010 8:27 PM:

My husband forgot his password, juanguzman1979@aol.com. We changed the password and it said it went through....when we go to put it in, it says incorrect password and willnot let us in....can u help please?

arlene said, on April 6, 2011 12:57 PM:

daughter has free aol account. has been hacked. needs to change password. can not answer security question because it has been to long forgot answer.

Jay D. Skaggs said, on October 27, 2011 12:22 PM:

I need to change my password because someone has hacked into my AOL email and is sending spam to everyone on our contact list. How do I do it?
Please help me. Thanks

Amran Batenga said, on January 31, 2012 10:49 PM:

i am the bonafide user of email address; radiometro@aim.com something happen as i bought the imac computer. i cant access to it. it is my very important business email address. can you help me recover it

Joyce Sherbert said, on April 28, 2012 8:39 PM:

I have forgotten my password and can not get into this account. What can I do.

Peggy said, on September 18, 2012 12:42 PM:

I cannot get into my aol.com email account with my password. Everytime I put in my password they tell me it is invalid. I can't change it because they won't let me in to change it? I do not want to speak to someone in India. All I want to to do it access my aol.com account.
Can you help me?

Nora said, on November 2, 2012 12:02 PM:

I have been denied access to my aol account for several months. I'm not even allowed to change the password and nobody answers when I phone the number given to ask for support.
What can I do?

sandra lineberry said, on February 10, 2013 6:32 PM:

i just want to change my password. My husband is reading all my business

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

Can I change my AOL password at AOL.com?

Reader Comments To Date: 48

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

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