How to Change Gmail Password to Protect Your Account From Being Hacked

First things first, a Gmail account is a part of a Google account. Google account provides you with a variety of Google services like Drive, Docs, Photos, Calendar, and much more.

If your Gmail account gets hacked, your Google account is going to be compromised too. Nowadays, Google accounts are the key to many people's digital lives: from friends and family photos to your financial and business data. Therefore, if you suspect that any unauthorized party is using your Gmail account, we strongly recommend you to change your password as soon as possible.

In this piece, we are going to discuss the following questions:

  • How to change your Gmail password?
  • How to prevent your Gmail account from being hacked?
  • How can Passwarden protect your Gmail account?

Let’s figure it all out!

It’s time you changed your Gmail password

There are several reasons why you might want to change your Gmail password. The two most common reasons are forgetting passwords and someone peeking over your shoulder online.

Forgetting passwords is self-explanatory - change your password if you can’t recall it. The second reason is a bit tricky. If you notice any suspicious activity in your account, first of all, see if your suspicions are correct by checking your account’s recent activity.

How to check the recent activity on your Gmail account

  1. Log in to your Gmail account.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Details to view recent connections.
  3. If there are any connections you don’t recognize or connections from a different location, change your Gmail password immediately.

5 simple steps to change your Gmail password

Step 1. Open Gmail and click on your profile.

Step 2. Click Manage your Google account.

Step 3. Navigate to the Security tab and scroll down to the Signing in to Google section.

Step 4. Click Password and verify it’s you.

Step 5. Enter your new password, confirm it, and press Change Password.

Please note that once you’ve changed your Gmail password, you'll be signed out of all running sessions, except for the following devices:

  • The device you’re on now
  • Trusted devices used for verification
  • Smart home devices

If it’s too late - How to get back your account

Let’s say your Gmail password was changed by someone. What should you do to get your account back and access Gmail emails? It’ll be quite challenging, but don’t worry. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to reset your Gmail password:

  1. Open the Google Account Recovery page - https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery.
  2. Enter your email address and click the Next button.
  3. Enter the last password you remember and click Next.
  4. Try another way to sign in: use your Security Key, verify yourself with your connected device, or confirm a verification code.
  5. Wait for a link to reset your password. This process could take up to 48 hours.

How to prevent your account from being hacked

With increasing cybersecurity risks, you might want to improve your Gmail security. Here is a detailed instruction on how to protect your inbox and keep all data safe.

Enable two-factor verification

Two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of security to your Gmail account. With 2FA enabled, each time you sign in to Gmail you’ll have to enter a code sent to the Google Authenticator app or your phone number in the form of a text message or voice call. Or, if you use a Security Key, insert it into your computer’s USB port.

How to turn this feature on:

  1. Log in to your Google account and navigate to the Security tab.
  2. Scroll down to the Signing in to Google section.
  3. Select 2-Step Verification and confirm your password.
  4. There are several ways to verify it's you:
  • Backup codes
  • Authenticator app
  • Voice or text message
  • Security Key

Select your perfect option and follow the provided instructions to set it up. You can enable more than one 2FA option.

Note: At the bottom of that page you can find the list of your trusted devices that don't need a second verification step. To reset these devices, click Delete next to the appropriate device or select the Revoke all option.

Sign out after a browsing session while using another device

You should always remember to sign out from your Gmail account when your browsing session is over. Sure thing, you shouldn’t sign out each time while using your phone or home PC. We are talking about devices that don't belong to you, such as public computers, your friend’s tablet, or anything like that. We highly recommend you to use an incognito browser window, when you sign in to your Gmail account using such devices. 

What should you do if you use a normal browsing window and forget to sign out? Well, you can do it remotely:

  1. Open your Google account and navigate to the Security tab.
  2. Scroll down to the Your Devices section and click Manage devices.
  3. Click on the kebab-menu next to someone else’s device in the Where you’re signed in section.
  4. Press Sign out and confirm your action. That’s it!

Create a strong password

A secure password is key for your Gmail account security. A complex 10-character password with a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special symbols is like an armored door keeping all hackers and spies outside. Of course, they can crack this door and get inside, but it takes a lot of time - at least 10 years. So change your passwords more frequently and you won’t worry about your account protection.

Not only is password strength important to safeguard your Gmail data, but its uniqueness also plays a crucial role. Using one password for several accounts is like using a hundred armored doors that could be opened with one key. In other words, if any password gets compromised, the attacker is likely to check if you use the same password on other services like online banking or social media. And if you do so, say goodbye to your accounts and stored data.

Check out our tips for creating a strong password and make it harder for cybercriminals to gain access to your account.

How can Passwarden protect your Gmail account

Passwarden is top-notch storage for all your passwords and other valuable information. It is a part of the MonoDefense security bundle.

This solution can easily solve the issue of forgetting passwords and minimize cybercriminals' chances of stealing your Gmail password.

Secure password storage VS forgetting passwords

How many accounts do you have? Email, social media and entertainment accounts, online banking, this list goes on. Memorizing hundreds of complex and unique passwords is a quite challenging task. 

Passwarden is here to remember everything for you and keep your data safe from the prying eyes of hackers and cybercriminals. All you need is to save your Gmail password to a secure Passwarden Vault. Then you will have easy access to it whenever you need it and from any device.

Autofill feature VS keyloggers

Keyloggers are monitoring software that gives cybercriminals access to your passwords, account credentials, and almost everything you type on the keyboard. These programs track which keys are pressed. In this way, hackers can learn your passwords while you have no idea that your actions are being monitored.

Apart from speeding up your login process and making it more user-friendly and less time-consuming, the Autofill feature perfectly protects you from keystroke logging. With Autofill enabled, you don’t have to type your passwords by yourself. Therefore, spies won’t manage to monitor your passwords using keyloggers.

For more information about the Autofill feature, check out this page.

Final thoughts: How to protect your Gmail account from the sticky fingers of cyber malefactors

  • Create a complex and unique password
  • Enable two-factor verification
  • Sign out after a browsing session while using a public device
  • Get started with a reliable password manager to never forget your password
  • Use the Autofill feature to defend against keyloggers
January 14, 2021