The auth/wrong-password error occurs when a user attempts to sign in with an incorrect password for their Firebase account. This common authentication error prevents login and can be resolved by implementing proper error handling, password reset functionality, and validating user input.
The Firebase "auth/wrong-password" error indicates that the password provided during sign-in does not match the password stored in Firebase for the specified email address. This error is thrown by Firebase Authentication during email/password sign-in attempts when credentials are invalid. The error message states "The password is invalid or the user does not have a password." This is a security-by-design error that Firebase returns to indicate failed authentication attempts, protecting user accounts by refusing login with incorrect credentials.
Double-check that you are entering the email address associated with your Firebase account. Sometimes users have multiple accounts with different emails. Check any confirmation emails or registration confirmations to confirm the correct email.
Carefully re-enter your password, paying attention to:
- Capitalization and case sensitivity (Firebase passwords are case-sensitive)
- Leading or trailing spaces
- Keyboard layout (check if you accidentally switched to another language)
- Caps lock being enabled
Use a Show Password toggle if available to verify your input visually before submitting.
If you cannot remember your password, click the Forgot password link on the sign-in page. Firebase will send a password reset email to your registered email address. Follow the link in the email to create a new password.
Example implementation:
import { sendPasswordResetEmail } from "firebase/auth";
const resetPassword = async (email) => {
try {
await sendPasswordResetEmail(auth, email);
console.log("Password reset email sent to:", email);
} catch (error) {
console.error("Error sending reset email:", error.code);
}
};On the frontend, catch the auth/wrong-password error and display a user-friendly message:
import { signInWithEmailAndPassword } from "firebase/auth";
const handleSignIn = async (email, password) => {
try {
const userCredential = await signInWithEmailAndPassword(auth, email, password);
console.log("User signed in:", userCredential.user.email);
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === "auth/wrong-password") {
console.error("Password is incorrect. Try again or reset your password.");
// Show user-friendly error message
displayError("Incorrect password. Please try again or use password reset option");
} else if (error.code === "auth/user-not-found") {
displayError("No account found with this email address.");
} else if (error.code === "auth/invalid-email") {
displayError("Please enter a valid email address.");
} else {
displayError("Sign-in failed. Please try again.");
}
}
};If the account was created via social login (Google, GitHub, Facebook, etc.) without setting a password, you cannot sign in with email/password. Check the Firebase Console:
1. Go to Authentication > Users
2. Click on the user email
3. Under Sign-in methods, verify that Email/Password is enabled
4. If only social providers appear, you must sign in using that provider instead
Alternatively, if the account has a password set, the social sign-in should have prompted to link accounts.
Firebase automatically rate-limits sign-in attempts after multiple failures to prevent account brute-forcing. If you receive "auth/too-many-requests" after entering the wrong password multiple times, wait a few minutes before trying again.
For your app, implement request throttling:
let signInAttempts = 0;
const MAX_ATTEMPTS = 5;
const LOCKOUT_TIME = 15 * 60 * 1000; // 15 minutes
const handleSignInWithRateLimit = async (email, password) => {
if (signInAttempts >= MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
displayError("Too many failed attempts. Try again in 15 minutes.");
return;
}
try {
const userCredential = await signInWithEmailAndPassword(auth, email, password);
signInAttempts = 0; // Reset on success
return userCredential;
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === "auth/wrong-password") {
signInAttempts++;
displayError(`Incorrect password (${signInAttempts}/${MAX_ATTEMPTS} attempts)`);
}
}
};Password Hashing: Firebase uses bcrypt hashing with additional salt rounds for password security. Never attempt to work around wrong-password errors by storing plain-text passwords or implementing your own authentication. Social Login Interactions: When a user links a social provider to an existing email/password account, Firebase may remove the password depending on the flow. Some flows require explicit account linking via reauthenticate(). Reauthentication: When performing sensitive operations (like changing email, deleting account, or updating payment info), Firebase requires users to reauthenticate. This also returns auth/wrong-password if the password is incorrect. User Experience: Provide a Forgot password link on every sign-in form. Studies show password reset is the most common solution for this error. Consider implementing password strength requirements during registration to reduce forgotten password cases. Case Sensitivity: Firebase passwords are case-sensitive. Some users on mobile may have auto-capitalize settings; consider educating users about this difference. Testing: When testing authentication in development, use the Firebase Emulator Suite to test wrong-password scenarios without hitting rate limits.
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