How to Recover/Reactivate an Old Yahoo Mail Account

You have two ways to reactivate your Yahoo account if it wasn't permanently deleted: Go to the Yahoo home page or use the sign-in helper. Here's how Yahoo account recovery works.

How to Reactivate Your Yahoo Account

Here's how to reactivate your account from the Yahoo home page.

1. On the Yahoo homepage, select Sign in.

2. Enter your Yahoo email address, then select Next.

3. If your account is recoverable, Select an option appears. Select your method of recovery (Text or Email).

4. Enter the verification code you received in the text or email message.

5. If the verification code is entered correctly, you're prompted to create a new password. Select Continue to change the password.

6. Select Continue again.

7. You may be prompted to confirm your account recovery settings. Select the pencil to edit, or select Add email or mobile no to add accounts. Otherwise, select Looks good to continue.

How to Confirm Your Yahoo Mail Account Has Been Deleted

To see if your Yahoo Mail account has been deleted:

1. Go to the Yahoo account recovery page.
   

2. In the Email address or phone number field, enter your Yahoo email address, then select Continue.

3. If your account was permanently deleted, you see the message, Sorry, we don't recognize that email address or phone number.

How to Reactivate Your Account via Sign-in Helper

If you don't remember your Yahoo Mail password:

1. Go to the Yahoo account recovery page.

2. Enter your Yahoo mail address in the Email address or phone number field, then select Continue.

3. Select a verification method (Text or Email).

4. Enter the verification code you received by text or email message.

5. If the verification code is entered correctly, you're prompted to create a new password. Select Continue to change your password, or select I'll secure my account later if you know your password.