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Yahoo Mail Account Security Guide For Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Staying Safe Online

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Table of Contents

  1. If You Suspect There is Unauthorized Access to Your Account
  2. Check Recovery Email and Phone Number
  3. Reviewing Log-Ins and Recent account activity
  4. Changing Passwords
  5. Turning on 2-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Last Updated: January 28, 2026

Symbols and What They Mean in This Guide


Course of action may be visible to your former or current partner. You may want to consult with a staff of an anti-violence program in your community before removing your former or current partner’s access.


Evidence documentation checkpoint. Take screenshots, pictures with a different device, or screen recordings of your former or current partner’s unauthorized access.

If you have a Yahoo Mail account and suspect that your account and/or device has been compromised, this guide will help you review important settings and increase the security on your account. The instructions are based on accessing your Yahoo mail account on a web browser. It is easiest to follow these instructions on a laptop or desktop computer.

Before taking any steps such as removing access to suspicious accounts or turning off location sharing, it is important to consider collecting evidence and discussing any potential safety concerns as a result of these changes with your support worker. Please note that Yahoo Mail does not endorse nor sponsor this resource.

If something in this guide is no longer up to date, or difficult to understand, please reach out to techsafe@bcsth.ca with your concerns.

 

1. If You Suspect There is Unauthorized Access to Your Account

Before taking these steps, consider creating a new, secure email address with an email provider such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo Mail or Proton mail on a secure device. You can use this email address for secure communication and to store important documents, as well as an account recovery email.

In addition to following these steps to secure your email account, you will want to secure other accounts (social media, ride share, food delivery, banking), as well as secure your devices (iCloud/iPhone, Android). Guides to do this can be found here.

 

2. Check Recovery Email and Phone Number

Safety Tip:


If your former/current partner has access to the email or phone associated with the account, it is possible for your former/current partner to access your account.


Before updating your information to include a secure phone number or email address, consider discussing any safety concerns with your support worker.

To check your recovery email and phone number

  1. Go to https://login.yahoo.com/ or open the Yahoo Mail app and log in.
  2. Click/Tap the profile icon (profile avatar).
    1. Location: Top right of screen for web browser, top left of screen for app.
  3. Click/Tap Manage your account.
  4. Click/Tap Security.
  5. Under the ‘Ways of signing in’ heading, review recovery email and phone numbers.

Source: Yahoo Help

 

3. Reviewing Log-Ins and Recent Account Activity

Safety Tip:


Be sure to take screenshots/recordings of the unauthorized log-ins.


Before removing unauthorized access, consider discussing potential safety concerns with your support worker.

If you suspect someone has logged in to your account without your consent, review your login history.

To review your login history and account activity

  1. Go to https://login.yahoo.com/ or open the Yahoo Mail app and log in.
  2. Click/tap the profile icon (profile avatar).
    • Location: Top right of screen for web browser, top left of screen for app.
  3. Click/Tap Manage your account.
  4. Click/Tap Security.
  5. Scroll down to the ‘Current sign-ins’ heading.
  6. You will see a list of current devices.
    • If you click on the device, you will see the browser (i.e. Chrome), device type (Windows), location, date and time of the last sign in, as well as the sign in history over the last 30 days.
  7. Scroll down further to the ‘Recent account activity’ heading to review if any suspicious or unrecognized activity has occurred.

 

4. Changing Passwords

If your former/current partner has or is logged into your Yahoo Mail account, changing your password can prevent them from logging into your account again. To make a secure password, refer to How to Create and Maintain Strong Passwords in this library.


Safety Tip: Changing your password will log all sessions out of your account. This may alert you current or former partner!

To change your password

  1. Go to https://login.yahoo.com/ or open the Yahoo Mail app and log in.
  2. Click/Tap the profile icon (profile avatar).
    1. Location: Top right of screen for web browser, top left of screen for app.
  3. Click/Tap Manage your account.
  4. Click/Tap Security.
  5. Under the ‘Ways of signing in’ heading, click Password.
  6. Follow prompts to create a new password.

Source: Yahoo Help

 

5. Turning on 2-Step Authentication

Turning on 2-step verification, also called 2-factor authentication (2FA), can protect your account from future unauthorized logins, check the resources in this library to understand why 2FA is important.

Turning on 2-step verification, also called 2-factor authentication (2FA), can protect your account from future unauthorized logins, check the resources in this library to understand why 2FA is important.


Safety Tip: Before enabling 2-step verification, make sure the password to your account is secure, and that you are the only one who has access to the email and/or phone number connected to your account. If 2-step verification is enabled on an account your current/former partner has access to, they will be notified of attempted logins through verification codes.

To turn on 2-step verification

  1. Go to https://login.yahoo.com/ or open the Yahoo Mail app and log in.
  2. Click/Tap the profile icon (profile avatar).
    1. Location: Top right of screen for web browser, top left of screen for app.
  3. Click/Tap Manage your account.
  4. Click/Tap Security.
  5. Under the ‘Ways of signing in’ heading, click/tap Turn on under the ‘2-step verification is flexible and easy’ subheading.

Source: Yahoo Help

Safety Tip: Before enabling 2-step verification, make sure the password to your account is secure, and that you are the only one who has access to the email and/or phone number connected to your account. If 2-step verification is enabled on an account your current/former partner has access to, they will be notified of attempted logins through verification codes.

To turn on 2-step verification

  1. Go to https://login.yahoo.com/ or open the Yahoo Mail app and log in.
  2. Click/Tap the profile icon (profile avatar).
    1. Location: Top right of screen for web browser, top left of screen for app.
  3. Click/Tap Manage your account.
  4. Click/Tap Security.
  5. Under the ‘Ways of signing in’ heading, click/tap Turn on under the ‘2-step verification is flexible and easy’ subheading.

Source: Yahoo Help

If you are experiencing tech abuse, you are not alone. Find support in your community by connecting with a BC Society of Transition Houses Member Program or check out our other safety resources at techsafebc.bcsth.ca.

©BC Society of Transition Houses, Tech Safe BC Project, 2026. We encourage others to share this material, provided BC Society of Transition Houses is acknowledged