Reddit Not Sending the Password Reset Email? Every Fix

You tap Forgot password, nothing lands in your inbox, and you start wondering if Reddit has gone quiet on you. It's a common snag for people who use Reddit for research, community work or customer questions and haven't logged in on a particular device for months.

Reddit's help centre has a dedicated article on this, with a longer list of reasons than most people expect. I'll take you through the right way to request the reset first, then every cause Reddit names, in the order that is quickest to rule out.

Requesting the Reddit password reset email correctly

Before blaming the email, check you've asked for the reset in the way Reddit describes. The steps are slightly different on the website and in the app.

On reddit.com

1. Below the username and password fields, select the Forgot password? link.
2. Enter your Reddit username or email address, then select Reset Password.
3. Open the email and tap Reset Password in it.
4. If you entered an email address and have several accounts, choose the account to reset.
5. Enter and confirm your new password, then click Continue.

In the Reddit app on iPhone or Android

1. At the bottom of the login screen, tap Forgot password.
2. Enter your username or email address, then press Reset Password.
3. Tap the Reset Password link in the email.
4. Choose the account if asked, then enter and confirm the new password and tap Continue.

Reddit says that if you entered a valid username, it sends the email to the address connected to that account. The links in these emails are time-sensitive, so if a link doesn't work, ask for a new reset. Resetting also logs you out on all devices.

Waiting and checking spam when the Reddit reset email is slow

Reddit says the reset email can take up to an hour to arrive, depending on your internet connection and email provider. It may also have gone to your spam, trash or a filtered folder, so look in all of them before asking again.

To stop Reddit emails going astray in future, Reddit suggests adding its sending address and the reddit.com domain to your email provider's safe or allowed senders list. If you're still waiting after an hour, move on to the causes below.

Checking you're using the email address linked to your Reddit account

This is the cause behind most missing reset emails. Reddit can only send the link to the verified email address connected to the account, so two mix-ups matter:

• The email you typed isn't the verified one on the account.
• The username you typed isn't connected to the inbox you're checking.

If you're not sure which email you used, Reddit has a username recovery feature. You enter any email addresses you might have signed up with, and Reddit sends a message listing any usernames connected to that address. If you can't remember the username either, my guide to changing your Reddit username explains what Reddit does and doesn't let you do once you're back in.

When your Reddit account has no email on it

Reddit is blunt here. If you never added an email address to the account, it can't send a reset, and there's no way to gain access. It says you're locked out until you can remember your password, and that Reddit can't tell you the email on an account because it can't verify your identity.

If that's your situation, Reddit says you can make a new account with a new username using your current email address. Usernames can't be reused or recycled, so you can't take back the old one, or any name that has been used before.

If you still know your password, Reddit's advice is simple: add an email address to the account now, while you can still log in, so a reset is possible later.

Reddit accounts created with a phone number, Google or Apple

How you first signed up changes the answer.

• Phone number: an email may not be attached. Reddit says to log in with Continue with phone number, then add an email address in account settings, and only then run a password reset.
• Google or Apple: if you picked Continue with Google or Continue with Apple, your account uses single sign-on. Reddit says you can sign in with that Google Account or Apple ID and reset your password from there.
• Apple's Hide My Email: the account may use a private relay address. If you reset by email instead of username, enter that special address. On Apple devices you can find it in Settings under your name, then iCloud, then Hide My Email.

When your email provider is blocking Reddit

It's also possible your email service is blocking messages from Reddit. Reddit's article gives separate steps for Yahoo and for Hotmail users, then says to request a new reset email afterwards. I haven't repeated those steps here, because they sit in the email providers' own settings and change over time, so follow the links in Reddit's article.

Another small catch: if you forward your email to a different address, you still have to enter the address connected to your Reddit account on the reset screen, not the one you forward to.

When Reddit itself is having problems

Reddit notes there's a slim chance it's having connectivity issues while you ask for the email. Its article suggests checking Reddit's status page. If there's an incident, try again once it's over.

A locked Reddit account also needs a password reset

Sometimes the reset email isn't just a convenience. Reddit says that if it locks an account as a security precaution, you'll see a red warning and a message asking you to reset your password, plus a notification in your Reddit inbox. Resetting the password is how you get back in, and Reddit can't help if the email on the account is out of date.

If you'd rather start fresh, my guide to deleting a Reddit account covers what that involves, but a reset is quicker if you can still reach the inbox.

Protecting your Reddit login once you're back in

Once you've regained access, Reddit's security advice is practical for anyone who manages a community or business presence there: use a strong, unique password, add two-factor authentication, keep a current verified email on the account and use a password manager. Reddit also says it will never email you to ask for your password, so don't share it in a reply.

When the Reddit reset email still doesn't come

1. Wait the full hour and check spam, trash and filtered folders.
2. Confirm you used the email or username linked to the account.
3. Try your other email addresses with username recovery.
4. Check how you signed up: phone, Google, Apple or Hide My Email.
5. Check your email provider isn't blocking Reddit.
6. Look at Reddit's status page, then request a fresh email.

If none of that works and you can't reach the email on the account, Reddit's help says it can't verify the account is yours and can't get you in. That's frustrating, but it protects your account from anyone else trying the same thing.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Reddit password reset email take?

Reddit says it can take up to an hour, depending on your connection and email provider. Check spam, trash and filtered folders too.

Why is Reddit not sending my reset email?

The most common reasons Reddit lists are using an email that isn't linked to the account, having no email on the account, or an email provider blocking the message.

Can Reddit tell me which email my account uses?

No. Reddit says it can't verify your identity, so it can't tell you the email. Its username recovery feature emails usernames to addresses you enter.

What if I signed up with Google or Apple?

Reddit says you can sign in with that Google Account or Apple ID and reset your password from there.

Can I get my Reddit account back with no email on it?

Reddit says there's no way to reset the password without a registered email. You can create a new account with a new username using your current email.