- Your personal UW NetID
- Reset or change your password
- Other UW NetID types
- Locked out of your account?
- Expirations
Your personal UW NetID
Your personal UW NetID (and its password) provides access to many UW online services including MyUW and UW Email. Your UW NetID verifies who you are, ensures the privacy of your personal information, and restricts the use of UW resources to authorized users.
Reset or change your password
If you know your UW NetID, you can reset a forgotten password or change your password at any time.
Coming Soon: Required Password Recovery for UW NetIDs
Starting August 2025, all new UW NetIDs must include an email or mobile number set up for password recovery. Beginning Fall 2025, all existing UW NetIDs will also be required to have recovery options. Users who haven’t added a recovery method will receive email notifications before this change takes effect.
To reset a forgotten password online
Prerequisites:
- You know your UW NetID. If you don't know your UW NetID see the section below, "Recover Forgotten UW NetID."
- You have access to your recovery email or phone, if you set one up. If you don't have access to your recovery email or phone, contact the UW-IT Service Center at [email protected] or 206-221-5000. You may still be able to reset your password through this tool if you haven't set up a recovery email or phone, but in some cases you will be directed to call the Registrar's Office or UW-IT Service Center.
- Open a web browser and go to: UW NetID Account Recovery
- Type your UW NetID and click Next. If you don't know your UW NetID see the section below "Recover Forgotten UW NetID." Certain types of UW NetIDs (e.g. shared, admin, SCCA, FHCRC) may require you to log in with another UW NetID or your home institution credentials. Two-factor authentication is required to reset admin UW NetID passwords.
- Type the requested information and click Next.
- Click the button for how you want to receive your security code. Keep this web page open while you wait for the code. Note: If you have previously set up only secret questions for account recovery, you will see them instead.
- Type the security code and click Next.
- Type the new password in the Password box, and again in the Verify box. Click Set New Password.
- Your password is changed. You can close your browser or click Continue to go back to the recovery settings page. Note: If you used secret questions to reset your password, they will be deleted and will be prompted to set up SMS or email recovery options.
Common reasons you might not be able to reset your password:
- You began creating your UW NetID but did not complete the process. Visit https://identity.uw.edu/new/ to finish creating your UW NetID.
- Your UW NetID is disabled or password reset is not allowed. Contact the UW-IT Service Center at [email protected] or 206-221-5000.
If you need help resetting your password, please contact [email protected].
Recover forgotten UW NetID
You can recover a forgotten UW NetID at the following site: https://identity.uw.edu/new/find You will be asked to provide certain information based on how you are affiliated with the University.
Alternatives to online password reset
If you would rather not use the online method, there are alternatives:
By phone:
Current UW faculty, staff, and clinicians can call the UW Information Technology Service Center at 206-221-5000 Changing your password by phone requires verification of your identity.
In person:
Students, student applicants, and alumni should come to the UW Information Technology Service Center with an appropriate photo ID. If you obtained your UW NetID through another organization that has a relationship with the UW, such as Cascadia College, SCCA, or Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, you can reset your password using the online method described above, or contact your organization's support services to change your password.
Protect your password
Prevent someone else from using your UW services:
- Use passwords that are difficult to guess.
- Never tell anyone your password. UW staff, including UW Information Technology consultants, will NEVER ask for your password. Email messages that ask you to send your UW NetID and password (such as to "verify your account") are fraudulent and should not be responded to.
Locked out of your UW NetID account?
A UW NetID account can be locked for a variety of reasons. This is typically done as a security precaution to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
Common causes
- Your account may have been identified as being affected by a phishing attack
- Your account may have been exhibiting suspicious login activity
- Your account may be sending suspicious bulk email to other UW community members
How do I know if my UW NetID account is locked?
It's possible your UW NetID account has been locked if you run into the following issues:
- You're unable to login to any UW resources (MyUW, UW email, Canvas, Workday) with your UW NetID and password
- You're unable to reset your UW NetID password
Troubleshooting steps for a locked account
- Try logging in to MyUW here:
https://my.uw.edu/ - If you're unable to login, try to reset your UW NetID password here:
https://identity.uw.edu/account/resetpassword/
If both steps fail, it's possible your UW NetID account has been locked by our security team.
Next steps for a locked account
Please call the UW-IT Service Center at (206) 221-5000 so we can assist in unlocking your account. We may need to conduct live video ID verification or in-person ID verification if your account has been locked.
You can find more information about live video ID verification here:
https://uwconnect.uw.edu/it?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0035400
Sponsor a non-UW community member for a personal UW NetID
Current UW staff and faculty members can sponsor individuals outside of the UW community for a personal UW NetID using the Sponsored UW NetID process. This is often used for contractors, volunteers or collaborators from other institutions to obtain a UW NetID account.
Other UW NetID types
- Shared
- Shared UW NetIDs are used when a number of people want to share the same account or email address, normally for departmental use.
- Temporary/Visitor
- For visitors who have been unsuccessful in connecting using eduroam or the “Connect as guest” option via the University of Washington (SSID) wireless network, a solution of last resort is to have a UW faculty or staff member assign a Temporary UW NetID. Temporary UW NetIDs are recycled and should not be used for providing access to other systems.
- Admin
- Admin UW NetIDs are used for administering Windows workstations, servers, or domains.
Expirations
Your personal UW NetID does not expire. Your access to specific IT services is based on your current affiliations with the UW, and access to many services will expire when your affiliations change. You will occasionally receive a notification of service expiration from the UW. These notifications are for access to IT services (such as email, web publishing, etc.), and they do not indicate that your UW NetID or email forwarding is expiring. If you have questions about your service expirations, please contact the UW-IT Service Center at 206-221-5000, or email [email protected].
No longer an active student, faculty, or staff member?
Refer to Expiration of access to IT services to learn more about schedules and notifications for IT service eligibility and expirations.
Your UW NetID is permanent
In general, your UW NetID is permanent and cannot be changed except in rare circumstances. For more information, send email to [email protected].