Login failures are the most common problem users report, and they are also the most misunderstood. The symptom — "it will not let me in" — can be caused by half a dozen different things, and the fix is almost always different depending on which one it is. This article walks through the causes in the order they are most likely to be responsible, and describes how to test for each.
Start With the Right Order
When a login fails, resist the urge to try things at random. Work through the possibilities in this order:
- Confirm the URL.
- Confirm the network.
- Confirm the browser.
- Confirm the credentials.
- Consider a platform-side issue.
That order rules out the most common causes first and avoids wasting time on unlikely ones.
Cause 1: The URL Is Not What You Think
Look-alike domains are the most consequential cause of login failure, because the user's credentials are entered correctly but on the wrong site. Attackers register domains that differ by a single letter, a swapped hyphen, or a different top-level suffix, then present them as the correct destination.
The check is simple: read the domain in the address bar character by character. The part that matters is immediately before the top-level suffix. If you reached the page through a link rather than typing the address yourself, this check is not optional.
If the domain does not match what you expected, close the page. Reaching the site through a bookmark you made earlier, or the address typed yourself, is the correct way to proceed.
Cause 2: Network Problems That Look Like Login Problems
A page that half-loads, a form that submits but hangs, a redirect that never completes — these frequently come from network issues rather than from the credentials. The distinguishing test is to switch networks. If you are on Wi-Fi, try mobile data. If you are on mobile data, try Wi-Fi. If one works and the other does not, the issue is the network, and no amount of re-entering the password will change it.
If you are on a home network and suspect the router, restarting it is a reasonable first step. Public networks — cafés, hotels, airports — are notorious for interfering with authentication redirects.
Cause 3: Browser State
Stale cookies and cached data are a frequent cause of login failures that look like password problems. The fix is to clear the site's data specifically, not the browser's entire history.
In most browsers you can do this from the site's information panel: click the padlock or the site-info icon in the address bar, then look for a "cookies and site data" option. Clearing that for one site is faster and less disruptive than clearing everything.
Extensions and content blockers occasionally interfere with login. Testing the same login in a private/incognito window, where extensions are usually disabled, is a quick way to rule this out.
Cause 4: The Credentials Themselves
When the network, browser, and URL are all fine, the problem is usually the credentials. Common variations include:
- Caps Lock on. Passwords are case-sensitive on most platforms.
- Mobile auto-capitalisation. Mobile keyboards often capitalise the first letter of every word, which breaks passwords that begin with a lowercase character.
- Autofill inserting the wrong value. Mobile autofill and browser autofill sometimes insert an identifier from a different account. Clear the field and type manually.
- A saved password that has changed. If you changed the password on another device but the browser still has the old one saved, the saved value will fail.
- A trailing space. Copy-pasted passwords occasionally carry a space at the end that is invisible in the field.
- The wrong identifier field. Some platforms expect a mobile number where the user enters an email, or vice versa.
Re-enter the credentials slowly and, where the field offers the option, use the "show password" toggle to confirm what you actually typed.
Cause 5: Lockouts and Platform-Side Issues
Some platforms lock accounts temporarily after a small number of failed attempts. If you see a message about this, wait the stated period before trying again. Repeated attempts extend the lockout rather than resolving it.
If the site fails in every browser on every network, and other sites work fine, the issue is almost certainly on the platform side. Platform status pages and social channels are worth checking at that point. Informational sites cannot resolve platform outages.
When to Stop and Reset Instead
After two or three failed attempts, the correct move is to use the platform's documented password-reset flow rather than continuing to guess. Guessing extends lockouts, and if the account is genuinely at risk — for example, if you suspect someone else has changed the password — the reset flow is the only path that will actually regain access.
The login guide covers the step-by-step process, and the help page has a wider troubleshooting sequence if none of the causes above match.
If You Entered Credentials on a Suspicious Page
Act promptly:
- Change the account password immediately from a device you control.
- Change the same password on any other account where it was used.
- Enable two-step verification if the platform supports it.
- Review recent account activity and any linked devices or payment methods.
- If a payment method was linked, check recent transactions with the provider.
The account security guide has the wider set of practices that reduce the impact of any single mistake.