Forgot Apple iCloud Password: Reset and Recover

If you forgot your Apple iCloud password, reset the password for your Apple Account to regain access. Apple does not provide a way to display a forgotten Apple Account password, but a trusted device can usually verify your identity and let you create a new one.

Apple ID is now called Apple Account, although you may still see the older name on some devices. Your Apple Account password is the credential used to access iCloud and other Apple services.

How can you check your current iCloud password?

You cannot open iCloud settings and reveal your current Apple Account password. Apple stores the account credential securely and does not display it in readable form.

A saved password is different from your active Apple Account password. If you deliberately saved the credential in the Passwords app or another password manager, you may be able to unlock that app and check the saved entry. The saved entry could be outdated if the password was changed later.

• If the saved password works, you do not need to reset it.
• If the saved password fails or no entry exists, use the Apple iCloud password reset process.
• Do not repeatedly guess. Follow the official reset prompts instead.

How do you reset your iCloud password on a trusted device?

A trusted device is an iPhone, iPad, or Mac already signed in to your Apple Account and recognized through two-factor authentication. You must also be able to unlock that device with its passcode or Mac login password.

On a signed-in iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Settings and tap your name.
2. Tap Sign-In & Security.
3. Tap Change Password.
4. Enter the device passcode when asked.
5. Follow the prompts to create and confirm a new Apple Account password.

On a signed-in Mac:

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
2. Click your name, then Sign-In & Security.
3. Click Change Password.
4. Enter the Mac login password if requested.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions to set the new password.

If menu wording differs, use the settings search box for “Change Password.” Resetting the Apple Account password changes the credential used for iCloud; it does not change the device passcode.

How do you reset your iCloud password without a trusted device?

If you have no trusted device, open {site} and search for “reset Apple Account password.” Select the official password-reset result, enter the email address or phone number associated with your Apple Account, and follow the verification prompts. The browser may ask you to continue on a trusted device if one is available.

You can also use a borrowed iPhone or iPad without adding your account to that device:

1. Open the Apple Support app on the borrowed device.
2. Scroll to Support Tools and select Reset Password.
3. Select Help Someone Else.
4. Enter your Apple Account email address or phone number.
5. Follow the prompts and provide any requested verification.

Information entered through the Help Someone Else flow is not stored on the borrowed device. Sign out of any browser session you opened and return the device when the process is complete.

What should you do if you cannot reset your iCloud password?

Account recovery is Apple’s identity-verification process for people who cannot reset a password using a trusted device or trusted phone number. Start it only after trying the standard reset options.

If you reach a verification-code screen but cannot use the listed phone number or devices, select the option saying that you did not receive a code, cannot reach your devices, or cannot use the displayed number. Follow the prompts to request account recovery and provide a phone number where Apple can contact you.

• Enter as much accurate account information as the process requests.
• If you previously chose a recovery contact, ask that person to generate a recovery code through their Apple device.
• If you enabled a recovery key, have that key and access to a trusted phone number ready.
• Watch for Apple’s instructions about when recovery can continue.

Apple may impose a security waiting period that varies by account information and circumstances. Do not rely on a specific completion time. Follow Apple’s directions about using devices during recovery because account activity may interrupt or cancel the request.

How can Apple Support help with iCloud account access?

Open {site}, choose Support, and select the Apple Account or password topic to see verified U.S. contact options. Apple may ask for your Apple Account email address or phone number, the devices associated with it, and details needed to identify the correct recovery process.

Apple Support can explain reset screens, help you locate official recovery options, and clarify the status instructions you received. Support representatives cannot reveal your existing password, directly choose a new password for you, bypass two-factor authentication, remove a recovery waiting period, or guarantee that an account will be recovered.

Never give anyone your device passcode, full recovery key, password, or unsolicited verification code. A person claiming that support can bypass Apple’s security checks is not offering the official recovery process.

How should you protect your iCloud account after recovery?

After you reset the Apple iCloud password, confirm that the recovery details and devices on the account belong to you.

1. Open Sign-In & Security in your Apple Account settings.
2. Update trusted phone numbers and remove numbers you no longer control.
3. Review the device list and remove devices you do not recognize or no longer use.
4. Add a recovery contact you know personally and can reach.
5. Create a strong, unique password that is not reused for email or other accounts.
6. Store the new password in a trusted password manager that you can access independently.

If you use a recovery key, keep a separate secure copy outside iCloud. Losing both account access and the recovery key can prevent recovery. Review unexpected sign-in alerts promptly and reject any authentication request you did not initiate.