- The platform where people forget their passwords the most is YouTube, leading with the highest number of password-related searches.
- Video streaming users forget their login details the most, with the top platform’s users requesting new passwords over four times a year.
- Content consumption platforms see up to 43 times more password reset requests than communication platforms.
A recent study by Heepsy examines which social media platforms experience the highest number of password recovery attempts by analyzing search behavior. It includes 35 popular platforms, using their monthly active user counts to assess the scale of password issues. Data was collected from three common search queries: “[Platform] password reset,” “[Platform] forgot password,” and “[Platform] recover account.” These queries reflect users seeking help to regain access. Rankings based on searches per 100K users highlight where users struggle most with passwords, offering insights into potential usability or security issues.
To access the complete research, please follow the link.
YouTube ranks 1st with 35.8K password-related searches per 100K users, resulting in 4.3 average password resets per user yearly. The platform records the highest absolute number of password-related searches at over 1.4 billion, primarily driven by “forgot password” queries. YouTube’s massive base of 3.9 billion monthly active users, along with its cross-device usage patterns, contributes significantly to its top position in password reset frequency.
Facebook comes in 2nd, generating 28.2K password recovery searches. Meta’s flagship platform shows a relatively high rate of “recover account” searches (3.5 million monthly). Facebook’s search volume is 21% lower than YouTube, while having about half the user base, with users averaging 3.4 password resets annually.
Pinterest follows in 3rd, with 20K password-related queries. It has a smaller user base compared to YouTube and Facebook, but its users have a quite high propensity for password issues, with “recover account” searches reaching 73.8 million monthly—21 times higher than Facebook’s recovery searches.
XÂ takes the 4th position with 8.4K queries on password recovery or reset, translating to an average of 1 password reset per user yearly. The platform has 65.8 million monthly “forgot password” searches, making up 85.4% of its password-related queries.
Instagram ranks 5th, showing just 5.8K password recovery inquiries. Despite being another Meta property with 1.6 billion users, Instagram has 79% fewer password issues than Facebook. Its mobile-first approach likely helps users remember their passwords, with only 94.3 million total password recovery searches.
Spotify is 6th with 4.2K password-related queries. Unlike higher-ranked platforms, Spotify’s “forgot password” searches (14.1 million monthly) outnumber “recover account” searches (59,500 monthly) by 237 times. Spotify’s search frequency is 29% lower than Instagram’s.
LinkedIn ranks 7th with password recovery searches at 2.6K less than one-tenth of YouTube’s rate. Microsoft’s professional networking platform shows relatively low password reset frequency despite having a professional user base similar in size to Pinterest. LinkedIn users search for “forgot password” 10 million times monthly.
Twitch ranks 8th, registering 2.2K password-related searches. Amazon’s streaming platform has just 4 million “forgot password” searches—99.9% of all Twitch password-related queries. Despite having a similar search rate to LinkedIn, Twitch has fewer total searches due to its smaller user base.
Line ranks 9th with 1.9K password recovery queries. The Naver-owned messaging platform popular in Asia shows minimal password reset patterns with just 3.4 million monthly “forgot password” searches, despite having a similar user base to Twitch. Line’s mobile-centric approach with persistent logins likely reduces the need for frequent password entries.
Discord ranks 10th with only 1K password-related searches per 100,000 users, the lowest in the study and equivalent to just 0.1 password resets per user yearly. Discord users search for “password reset” 153.7K times monthly—7.1% of their total password queries. Discord’s strong emphasis on staying logged in across sessions results in an 80% lower search frequency than competitor platform Line.
Tabi Vicuña, Founder of Heepsy, commented on the study: “The psychology behind password retention reveals fascinating human behavior patterns. Services used passively create more authentication friction than those where users actively create and communicate. When credentials are requested infrequently across devices, our brains effectively ‘un-learn’ access patterns. Mobile-native applications benefit from the muscle memory and cognitive anchoring that persistent login states create—something desktop-first experiences cannot match. This cognitive lock-in represents an overlooked aspect of digital product design directly impacting both user experience and business operations
