How to Change Your Email Password in cPanel

How to Change Your Email Password in cPanel

If you have forgotten the password of an email account, lost a device, or need to set a new password for security reasons, you can change the password directly in cPanel. Afterwards, the new password must be updated in all email clients and devices you use.

This article shows you how to change your email account password, what to look out for regarding secure passwords, and typical issues that might occur after a password change.

When should an email password be changed?

Changing a password is not only useful when the old one has been forgotten. It can also be necessary for security reasons to set a new password.

Typical reasons include:

• Forgotten password: Access to Webmail or the email program no longer works.
• Suspected misuse: Unusual activities, spam being sent, or unrecognized logins are suspected.
• Lost device: A smartphone, tablet, or laptop with the email account set up is no longer available.
• Staff turnover: Access to business mailboxes needs to be re-regulated.
• Security measure: An old or weak password needs to be replaced.

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

First, log in to your cPanel dashboard. Then open the "Email" section and click on "Email Accounts".

There you will see all email accounts set up in your cPanel account. Find the mailbox whose password you want to change.

Step 2: Manage email account

Click on "Manage" next to the desired email account. In the account settings, you can adjust the password, storage space limits, and other mailbox options.

Step 3: Set a new password

In the password section, you can enter a new password. Use a strong password that is not already used for other services. A function to generate a secure password is usually available in cPanel as well.

A good password should:

• be long enough,
• contain uppercase and lowercase letters,
• use numbers and special characters,
• not consist of names, company names, or simple words,
• be used exclusively for this email account.

Step 4: Save changes

Save the change after you have entered the new password. From this moment on, the new password applies to the email account in question.

The old password will no longer work. All programs and devices that still use the old password will not be able to connect to the mailbox until the new password has been entered.

After changing the password: Update your devices

After a password change, you must enter the new password everywhere the email account is set up.

In particular, check:

• Webmail: Test login with the full email address and the new password.
• Outlook: Update the password in the account settings.
• Apple Mail: Check the password for incoming and outgoing servers.
• Thunderbird: Remove or update the saved password.
• iPhone and iPad: Re-enter the password in the account settings.
• Android devices: Update the password in the email app being used.

Password for Incoming and Outgoing Mail

Many email programs store the password for both receiving and sending emails. Therefore, it can happen that receiving works again, but sending still fails.

Be sure to check both areas after the change:

• Incoming mail server: IMAP or POP3
• Outgoing mail server: SMTP

Use the new password of the email account for both areas.

Security measures in case of suspected misuse

If you suspect that an email account has been compromised, a password change alone is not always enough. Additionally, check if forwarders, filters, or unknown devices have been set up.

Recommended checks:

• Change password immediately.
• Check all configured email forwarders.
• Check email filters for unknown rules.
• Check autoresponders.
• Update or remove devices using the old password.
• Monitor spam or delivery issues.

Common issues after changing your password

Webmail works, but Outlook doesn't:
The new password has probably not been saved in Outlook yet. Check the account settings and the outgoing mail server.

I can receive emails, but cannot send them:
Update the password for the SMTP server as well. Many programs save separate login details for this.

The smartphone constantly asks for the password:
Remove the old password from the account settings and enter the new password again.

The new password is not accepted:
Check if you have changed the password for the correct email account and ensure that the full email address is being used as the username.

Calendar or contacts no longer synchronize:
If CalDAV or CardDAV is used, the new password must be updated there as well.

Best Practices for Email Passwords

• Use a unique password for each email account.
• Do not store passwords unencrypted in documents or notes.
• Do not share passwords via email or chat.
• Change passwords during staff turn-overs or if a device is lost.
• Use a password manager.
• Do not use simple terms such as company names, domain names, or years.

Summary

You can change the password of an email account directly in cPanel. After saving, the new password is immediately valid and must be updated in all programs and devices used.

It is particularly important to update the password for both receiving and sending. In case of suspected misuse, forwarders, filters, and other account settings should also be checked.