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Important Notice:  Did you receive an email from our Yahoo! Accounts Team? - We're contacting all our customers asking them to provide their mobile number for faster and easier account recovery. Learn more .
 

Using your mobile phone number for password recovery

ID: SLN2694
Refers to: Yahoo! Account , Mobile Mail , Messenger Mobile , Messenger iPhone , Messenger Android

Description

This article is used when you have forgotten the password to your Yahoo! Account and have a mobile number on file. It provides troubleshooting if your password is not working as well as the steps to reset the password online using the mobile number on file.  


Resolution

Note: If there is no mobile number on the account at the time the password is lost, the mobile number cannot be a part of the verification process. The Yahoo! Password Helper can walk you through the password recovery process (The specific steps are below). After you password is recovered, we recommend you go into the Yahoo! Account Information page and add your mobile number. Our article entitled How to add or change your alternate email address or mobile number should guide you through these steps.

If you are unable to access your account due to an "Invalid Password" error message, you may have to request a new password. Before using the online password request form, please take a look at the following common causes of "Invalid Password" messages:

  • Passwords are case sensitive (meaning that "PASSWORD," "PaSsWoRd," and "password" are not equivalent), so be sure to keep this in mind when entering your new password.
    • Note: Some mobile devices are set to automatically capitalize the first letter. 
  •  If you have recently obtained a new password, please wait a period of 24 hours before attempting to access your account. This will allow our system to update and recognize your password.
  • Yahoo! IDs generally do not contain spaces, but many users register IDs that include the underscore "_" instead of a space. Please confirm that you are using the correct Yahoo! ID.

Note: We recommend that you make any password changes on a desktop computer (Mac or PC). If you are still unable to access your account using the steps above, we would like to suggest that you follow the steps below from your desktop.

You can recover your password now and in the future by following the steps below:

  1. Go to the Yahoo! Password Helper and select I have a problem with my password.
  2. Enter your Yahoo! ID and the CAPTCHA word verification image. 
  3. Enter your Mobile Number and click Next.
  4. Follow the instructions, and an SMS message will be sent to the Mobile Device you've provided.
  5. Once you receive the SMS message, follow the sign-in steps; and change your password.

Note: In some cases, the SMS message may take up to 30 minutes to be received. Also, you will not be able to receive a new password if you do not have access to the mobile device connect to the account in question.

For more information on what to do if you forget  your password or it doesnt' work, watch our video.



Last updated: February 19, 2013
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