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How To Recover Your Yahoo Mail Account

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This article explains various solutions for recovering access to your Yahoo mail account.

N.B. Accounts that have had absolutely no activity in the past 12 months are at risk of being deleted.Abandoned and obsolete accounts are often quickly deleted from the server, making account recovery impossible.



Forgot Yahoo ID

If you have forgotten your Yahoo ID, head over to Yahoo's Account Recovery Wizard page. Follow the step-by-step instructions to recover your account information.

Reset a Forgotten Password (Partner Accounts)

Use the Sign-in Helper to reset your Yahoo password and regain access to your account. For account security, Yahoo only displays some of the options. The system determines which options to display, based on factors like from where you’re signing in and the your account's recovery settings.

Change, Recover, or Reset Your Yahoo Password (Partner Accounts Only)

If you have an email account with Yahoo through one of its partners (Verizon, AT&T, Frontier, Rogers, BT, Sky, Spark, or MTS), follow these instructions to change or reset your password.

Your Yahoo password gives you access to every Yahoo service that you use. You'll need to know your current password in order to change it to something else. If not, you can reset it to start fresh.

In order to change your password using a mobile web browser, go to the Yahoo Account Info > Menu > Account Security > Change password. Enter and confirm your new password. Then, click Continue<bold>.

A confirmation will appear. Click <bold>Continue to finish.

Reset a Forgotten Password

Use the Sign-in Helper to reset your Yahoo password and regain access to your account. For account security, Yahoo only displays some of the options. The Yahoo system determines which options to display based on factors like from where you’re signing in, your account's recovery settings, your mobile phone number, and your alternate email address.


Go to the Sign-in Helper. There, enter your phone number or email address, and click Continue. If prompted, enter the CAPTCHA code.

If you can receive text messages to the number listed, click Yes, text me an Account Key. If you have access to the email address listed, click Yes, send me an Account Key. Depending on the option you've selected, Yahoo will send an Account Key to your phone or email. Enter the Account Key that Yahoo sent in the field provided, then click Verify.

Select an account to reset from the list connected to your mobile number or email address, and click Continue.

Recover Yahoo Password Using Your Secret Questions

If, when you created your account, you registered secret questions, you will no longer be offered to used them to recover your account. Yahoo has done away with secret questions.

Recover Yahoo Password Without Your Secret Questions

As mentioned before, Yahoo has done away with secret questions.

Instead, go to the Password Helper, and enter your email address. If you have a mobile number, listed on your account, the Password Helper will show it. If you don't, click No, I can't receive text. You'll see your alternate email address. If you have access to that email account, click Yes, email me.

A "Recover access to your Yahoo account" email will be sent to your alternate email address. Enter the verification code that Yahoo sent to you in the email, then click Submit.

Enter the code to access your account.

Invalid ID or Password Message

If your attempts to log in are being met with an Invalid ID or Invalid Password error message, this means that you've entered a password and Yahoo ID combination that doesn't match what's on record. If you're sure that you're entering the correct sign-in information, there are a few scenarios as to why this might be happening.

If your password contains numbers or letters, make sure that your caps lock or number lock keys are activated or deactivated as needed. Case-sensitive passwords are often entered incorrectly due to key stroke sensitivity.

Take a look at your browser's auto-fill settings. If your browser usually enters your password for you automatically, and you've changed your password recently, you'll need to enter your new password manually to override your browser settings.

If you're sure that you're entering the correct information, this could be a sign that someone else has accessed your account and changed your password. You should change your password immediately using the Password Helper tool. Once you regain access to your account, review the steps to secure a hacked account to undo any changes made without your knowledge.

Your Account Recovery Information is Incorrect or Has Changed

Email providers take your account's security very seriously and will only let you reclaim an account if you can prove that you're the rightful owner.


When you register for an account, it's up to you to provide the most up-to-date and valid recovery info. Your best option to avoid losing access is to update your recovery info if you get a new phone number or change your alternate email address.

If you've tried using the Password Helper and weren't able to get access to your account, other recovery options may not be available. We know that it can be frustrating to see the failure notice, but in these rare cases, we recommend creating a new Yahoo account.

Find your Yahoo ID and Restore Access to Your Yahoo Account

From Your Desktop Computer

Go to the Account Recovery Wizard, and enter one of the account recovery items listed. Click Continue.

Follow the instructions given in the Account Recovery Wizard.

From Your Mobile Device

On the Yahoo Sign-in page, tap Trouble signing in?. Enter one of the account recovery items listed in the Account Recovery Wizard, and click Continue.

Follow the instructions given in the Account Recovery Wizard.

Signing in From a Different Device

If you've recently changed your phone or your mobile SIM card, you may see a verification message upon your first log-in reading First time signing in from here?

When you see this message, you'll need to choose whether you want to verify using your phone or alternate email address.

Depending on what you have listed, you can choose to get the code through text message, a phone call, or an email.

Click the method you'd like to use, and then check your email or mobile phone for the verification code. Enter the code in the field provided, and click Submit.

For further information, click this link.

Yahoo Mail Account Locked

To protect your account, a temporary lock is triggered anytime there have been too many unsuccessful attempts to sign in.


The lock will be lifted automatically after 12 hours, but you can always regain access to your account immediately using the Password Helper tool.

Problems Using Yahoo's Account Key

Yahoo Account Key is intended to make your life easier. Its goal is to avoid the use of a password, which is replace by an authentication made with the mobile app. But, if you can't use your mobile app, you can follow these steps: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN25921.html

Yahoo Account Has Been Hacked

If your Yahoo account has been hacked, click here and follow the instructions.

Yahoo Customer Care Personal Contact

To date, Yahoo has not given any way to have any personal contact with customer care. You must, therefore, try to recover your account through the methods provided on the Yahoo site.

Image: © Yahoo.
Jean-François Pillou

Jean-François Pillou - Founder of CCM
Better known as Jeff, Jean-François Pillou is the founder of CommentCaMarche.net. He is also CEO of CCM Benchmark and digital director at the Figaro Group.

Learn more about the CCM team

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