Forgot an email password, or need to lock out a former employee? As the owner of the Instant Access Internet Services cPanel account, you can reset any mailbox password without knowing the old one. This guide shows how to change an email account password in cPanel, how users can change their own password in Webmail, and what to do on your devices afterwards.
Change an email password in cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and go to Email > Email Accounts.
- Find the address in the list (use the search box if you have many) and click Manage next to it.
- Under Security, type the new password in New Password, or click Generate to create a strong one. Copy it somewhere safe.
- Scroll down and click Update Email Settings.
The new password works right away. The old password stops working at the same moment, on every device.
Change your own password in Webmail
Mailbox users who don't have cPanel access can change their own password if they know the current one.
- Log in to Webmail at
https://example.com/webmailwith your full email address and current password. - Click your email address at the top right of the webmail page and choose Password & Security.
- Enter the new password in both boxes and click Save.
If you've forgotten your current password, ask whoever manages the cPanel account to reset it using the steps above, or open a ticket from the client area if that's you.
Choosing a strong password
- Use at least 12 characters. A few random words plus a number and symbol works well.
- Don't reuse your cPanel, bank or social media password.
- cPanel won't accept passwords below a minimum strength. The strength meter shows when it's strong enough.
- Store it in a password manager so you don't need to reset it again.
Update your devices afterwards
Every phone, computer and app that uses the mailbox needs the new password. Until you update them, they'll show password prompts or errors, and they'll keep retrying the old one.
- iPhone/iPad: usually prompts for the new password when you open Mail. If not, see How to Set Up Your Email on iPhone and iPad.
- Android (Gmail app): the app asks you to sign in again, or remove and re-add the account (How to Set Up Your Email on Android).
- Outlook: enter the new password when prompted. In the new Outlook for Windows, go to Settings > Accounts if it doesn't ask.
- Other apps: look in the account settings for both the incoming (IMAP/POP) password and the outgoing (SMTP) password. Some apps store them separately.
Update your devices promptly. Too many failed logins from an old password can cause our firewall to temporarily block your IP address.
Troubleshooting
The new password doesn't work
Check that you're using the full email address as the username, and watch for extra spaces when pasting the password. Try logging in to Webmail first. If Webmail works, the problem is the settings in your email app.
Suddenly I can't reach cPanel, Webmail or my website at all
Your IP address has probably been blocked after repeated failed logins, often from a phone still using the old password. Turn off mail on that device, look up your IP at whatismyipaddress.com, and open a ticket with it.
I think someone else has my password
Change it immediately using the cPanel steps above. If spam was sent from the account, tell us in a ticket so we can check the mail queue. You may also want to set up two-factor authentication on your cPanel login (How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in cPanel).
Related guides
- How to Create an Email Account in cPanel
- How to Log In to Webmail (Roundcube)
- How to Find Your Email Settings with Connect Devices
- How to Fix "Cannot Send Email" (SMTP Authentication Errors)
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
