How to Change Your Laptop Password
To change the password used to sign in to a laptop, first identify the account or sign-in method, then use the password settings provided by Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS. Changing a laptop password may also require you to sign in again on other devices and update saved credentials.
How do I identify my laptop sign-in type?
Before changing the password in a laptop, check which credential the laptop actually uses. A password, PIN, fingerprint, and face scan can appear on the same sign-in screen, but they are not the same credential.
Microsoft account: On Windows, open Settings, select Accounts, and look under Your info. An email address and wording that identifies a Microsoft account mean the password is shared with Microsoft services.
Windows local account: A local account exists only on that Windows device. Under Your info, Windows identifies it as a local account rather than showing a connected Microsoft account.
Windows PIN: A PIN is a device-specific sign-in method managed through Windows Hello. Changing a PIN does not change the Microsoft account or local account password.
Mac login password: This password unlocks the macOS user account. It may be different from the Apple Account password used for iCloud and other Apple services.
Chromebook Google Account: Most Chromebook users sign in with their Google Account email address and password. A Chromebook may also offer a PIN after the account has been set up.
Another method: A work or school laptop may use an organization-managed account, security key, smart card, or company sign-in system. Follow the organization’s instructions rather than changing settings without approval.
How do I change a password on a Windows laptop?
The correct Windows procedure depends on whether the user has a Microsoft account or a local account. Save open work before making the change.
To change a Microsoft account password from Windows:
Open Settings and select Accounts.
Select Sign-in options, then find Password.
Select Change and confirm your identity if Windows asks.
Enter the current password, create a new password, and complete the prompts.
If Windows directs you to Microsoft account security instead, follow the identity-verification prompts there. Because the Microsoft account password is shared, the new password applies to Microsoft services and other devices that use that account. A Windows Hello PIN normally remains unchanged.
To change a Windows local account password:
Open Settings and select Accounts.
Select Sign-in options, expand Password, and select Change.
Enter the current local password.
Enter the new password, confirm it, and add a password hint that does not reveal the password.
Finish the prompts, sign out, and test the new password.
A local password change affects only that Windows account on that laptop. If the Password option is absent, check whether you are using a PIN or an account controlled by an employer or school.
How do I change the login password on a MacBook?
The Mac login password unlocks the macOS user account and authorizes certain system changes. Changing it does not normally change the Apple Account password.
Open the Apple menu and select System Settings.
Select Users & Groups.
Select the information button next to the user account if it appears, then select Change Password.
Enter the current Mac login password.
Enter and verify the new password, add a useful hint if desired, and confirm the change.
Lock the screen or sign out, then verify that the new Mac login password works.
Older macOS versions may place the password controls under System Preferences and Users & Groups. If macOS asks about the login keychain after the change, follow the displayed prompts. The login keychain stores passwords and other credentials protected by the Mac login password.
To change an Apple Account password, use the Apple Account settings under the user’s name in System Settings. That is a separate action from changing the Mac login password.
How do I change a password on a Chromebook?
Chromebook access normally uses a Google Account password. Changing that password also changes the credential used for Gmail and other Google services connected to the same account.
Open the Google Account settings while signed in.
Select Security, then choose Password under the sign-in options.
Confirm the current Google Account password or complete the requested identity check.
Enter the new password twice and confirm the change.
Sign out of the Chromebook and test the new Google Account password.
After a Google Account password change, a Chromebook may ask for the previous password to unlock locally stored encrypted data. Enter the old password only when ChromeOS itself requests it during the official sign-in process. If the old password is unavailable, ChromeOS may explain that some local data cannot be recovered. Files already synchronized to the Google Account remain associated with that account.
What should I do if I forgot the current laptop password?
Use the official recovery option for the account type. Do not use password-bypass programs or instructions intended to defeat device security.
Microsoft account: Select the forgotten-password option on the Windows sign-in screen or use Microsoft’s account-recovery process. Complete identity verification with the recovery methods offered for the account.
Windows local account: Select Reset password after entering an incorrect password, then answer the security questions if they were configured. A previously created password-reset disk may also be used. On a managed laptop, contact the organization’s administrator.
Mac: Select the question-mark or reset message shown near the password field. macOS may offer recovery through the Apple Account or macOS Recovery, depending on how the Mac was configured. Follow only the options displayed by macOS.
Chromebook: Recover the Google Account through Google’s official account-recovery process. If ChromeOS requests the previous password for local encrypted data and it is unavailable, follow the on-screen reset choice and review its warning about local data before continuing.
Recovery can require access to a trusted email address, phone, device, recovery key, or security answers. If the laptop belongs to an employer or school, contact its support team because organization policies may block self-service recovery.
What should I do after changing the laptop password?
A password change can affect every device or service that uses the same online account. Complete these checks before relying on the laptop for important work.
Lock the laptop or sign out, then test the new password. Keep another authorized recovery method available until the test succeeds.
Check whether the change affected only the laptop or a synchronized Microsoft, Apple, or Google account.
Sign in again on authorized phones, tablets, email programs, cloud storage tools, and browsers that report an authentication error.
Update stored credentials in the operating system, password manager, browser, Wi-Fi or network connection, and approved work applications where necessary.
Confirm that email, file synchronization, backups, and other account services resume normally.
Keep any PIN, fingerprint, or face sign-in configured only if it still works and the laptop remains under the user’s control.
If repeated prompts continue, restart the laptop and enter the new account password rather than an old saved credential. On a managed device, report persistent sign-in or synchronization errors to the organization’s support team.