How to Create an AOL Mail Account

To get an AOL email address you create an AOL account. It's one account for all of AOL — Mail, AOL.com and AOL's other products — and your username becomes your @aol.com address.

Create the account

1. Open your browser, type aol.com in the address bar and press Enter.
2. Click Sign in in the upper-right corner.
3. Click Create an account at the bottom of the screen.
4. Fill in the information AOL asks for and submit it.
5. Enter the code AOL sends to your phone or other email address. This confirms it's really you.

Your new mailbox is at mail.aol.com, and you can also use the AOL app on iPhone and Android.

If you can't finish signing up

AOL says most sign-up problems happen at the username, password or code step.

• “Username taken” — someone already has it, and and that includes usernames from deleted accounts, which AOL says can't be used again. Add a number or another word, and keep trying variations until one is accepted.
• Password not allowed — AOL checks every new password against its rules for minimum and maximum length and for required and disallowed characters. Adjust it until it passes.
• Code didn't arrive — check you typed the phone number or email correctly, wait a few minutes, look in the spam folder if you chose email, then request a new code. If it still doesn't come, go back and choose the other option if the screen offers one.

Set up recovery info straight away

Your recovery phone number and alternate email address are how AOL confirms it's you — when you forget your password, and when it asks for a code after an unusual sign-in. AOL is blunt about it: if your recovery info is wrong or out of reach, you might not be able to get back into your account.

1. Sign in to the AOL Account Security page (login.aol.com/myaccount/security).
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
3. Click Add email or Add phone number and follow the prompts to verify it.

Add both if you can — you'll need at least two recovery methods to use an authenticator app for 2-step verification.

Then secure it

• Turn on 2-step verification from the same Account Security page — see AOL Mail security.
• If AOL set up security questions on your account, remove them: AOL says a recovery email or phone is more secure.
• To read AOL Mail in Outlook or another email app, create an app password rather than using your main password — see AOL Mail server settings.

Keep the account active

AOL deletes accounts that haven't been signed in to for 24 months, and a deleted username can't be used again. If AOL is a backup address you rarely open, sign in at least once a year — and keep your recovery details current when you change phone number or email.