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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesOn Hostinger web hosting, you change an SSH password from the site’s dashboard: open Websites, click Dashboard for the site, choose SSH Access in the sidebar, click Change beside Password, enter the new password, and click Change again to confirm. On a VPS the path is different. You go to VPS → Manage → Settings and update the Root password instead. Which route applies depends on your plan, so confirm that first.
Check your plan and SSH status first
SSH Access on web hosting is available only when SSH is enabled for the account, and Hostinger lists Premium Web hosting plans and above as eligible. If you are on a lower tier, or SSH is off, the SSH Access entry will not give you a password field to change. Hostinger also states that FTP and SSH are unavailable for websites built with its AI Builder, so a site created that way will not have an SSH password to change at all.
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Change the SSH password on web hosting
These steps follow Hostinger’s Help Center guidance as checked on 7 October 2026. Hostinger may rename menu items, so if your labels differ, look for the same wording in the sidebar.
- Sign in to hPanel and open Websites.
- Click Dashboard beside the site whose SSH password you want to change.
- In the sidebar, click SSH Access.
- Click Change beside Password.
- Type the new password and click Change to confirm.
- Wait a short time for the change to take effect, then reconnect with the new credential. An existing session may keep working until it closes, so reconnect from a fresh terminal to confirm.
The password prompt asks for a mix of character types. Hostinger’s wording is that you will be prompted to generate a new password containing numbers, symbols, uppercase, and lowercase letters. Use a long, unique value rather than one you reuse elsewhere.
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Default password versus a separate SSH password
On a new hosting plan, the FTP password you set up is also the default SSH password. Changing that default through the steps above updates SSH, and it also changes the main FTP password. Hostinger treats additional FTP accounts separately, so their credentials are not changed by this action.
If you want different passwords for file transfer and terminal access, set a dedicated SSH password from the SSH Access page instead of changing the shared default. After that, the two credentials are managed independently, so an FTP update will not touch SSH and vice versa.
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Change the root password on a VPS
VPS accounts use a different credential. The SSH password for a VPS is the root password.
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- Go to Manage, then Settings.
- Find the Root password setting, enter a new strong password, and save it.
- Wait a few moments, then open Backup & Monitoring and select Latest Actions.
- Find the entry named
ct_set_rootpasswd. Its status should read Success. If it does not, treat the change as incomplete and try again.
Hostinger does not show the current VPS SSH password in the dashboard for security reasons, so you cannot read it back to check it. The connection details, including the server’s IP address and username, are on the server’s overview page.
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If you forgot the VPS password
Because the password is never displayed, a forgotten VPS password cannot be recovered. Instead, set a new one using the VPS dashboard’s reset option, then reconnect with that value. Keep in mind that any scripts or tools that stored the old password will need updating.
SSH keys as an alternative on VPS
If you prefer key-based login to typing a password, Hostinger documents adding an SSH key under VPS → Manage → Settings → SSH keys. Key authentication is a separate setup, and you do not need it to change the root password. Use it when you want to log in without a password at all.
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Troubleshooting checklist
- No SSH Access menu: check that SSH is enabled and that the plan is Premium Web hosting or higher. AI Builder sites do not support SSH.
- Password change did not stick on a VPS: confirm that
ct_set_rootpasswdshows Success in Latest Actions. - FTP stopped working after an SSH change: the default password is shared, so check whether you changed the shared default and whether you need to use the new value in your FTP client.
- Login still fails: confirm you are using the correct username from the server or account overview, and reconnect after the change has had time to apply.
Hostinger’s labels and layout change over time. If the steps above do not match what you see, search the Hostinger Help Center for “SSH” and check the article for your product type.
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