How to Change Your Mac Computer Password

To change your Mac computer password, open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, select Users & Groups, and open the information for your user account. Select Change, enter the current password and the new password twice, add a hint, and confirm the change.

These steps change the password used to unlock and sign in to that Mac. They do not change the password for your Apple Account.

Before You Change Your Mac Password

A Mac login password belongs to a local user account on one Mac. An Apple Account password signs you in to Apple services such as iCloud and the App Store; changing one password does not automatically change the other.

To change the password for the account currently signed in, you normally need its current login password. Touch ID may unlock the Mac in some situations, but System Settings can still require the login password before allowing a security-related change.

Before starting, confirm that you are signed in to the correct user account. If you have forgotten the current password, use an official reset option instead of the standard change process. On a Mac managed by an employer or school, account rules or device-management settings may affect what you can change; contact the organization’s administrator if an option is unavailable.

How to Change the Password on Your Mac

Use the following official System Settings process when you know the current password. This is the direct answer for readers searching “how to change mac computer password” or “how to change password on mac computer.”

1. Open the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
2. Select System Settings.
3. Select Users & Groups in the sidebar. You may need to scroll.
4. Select the information button next to your user name.
5. Select Change beside the password setting.
6. Enter the current login password in the Old Password field.
7. Enter the new login password in the New Password field, then enter it again in the Verify field.
8. Add a password hint that helps you remember the password without revealing it to someone else.
9. Select Change Password to save the new password.

Depending on the macOS version and Mac model, password controls may instead appear under Login Password or Touch ID & Password in the System Settings sidebar. Follow the labels shown on the Mac and choose Change.

How Do You Change the Password for Another Mac User?

An administrator can reset the password for another local user account on the same Mac. A standard user cannot reset another user’s password, and an administrator should do this only for an account whose owner has authorized the reset.

1. Sign in to an administrator account.
2. Open the Apple menu and select System Settings.
3. Select Users & Groups.
4. Select the information button beside the other user’s name.
5. Select Reset, enter the requested administrator credentials, and follow the prompts to create and verify a new password.

The other user may need to be signed out before the account can be selected. This procedure resets that user’s local password without requiring the old one. It differs from changing your own password, which uses the Change button and asks for your current password. A reset may also prevent the old login keychain from unlocking.

What Do You Do If You Forgot Your Mac Password?

If you forgot the Mac login password, restart the Mac and work from the full login window. Enter a password up to three times to check for a question mark, password hint, or reset message. The available options depend on the Mac, its macOS version, FileVault settings, and how password recovery was configured.

1. Select the question mark or reset message if one appears.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions. The Mac may request your Apple Account credentials, a FileVault recovery key, a startup disk, or authentication from another authorized user.
3. Create and verify a new login password when prompted.
4. Restart the Mac if instructed, then sign in with the new password.

If no reset option appears after several attempts and a restart, start the Mac in macOS Recovery. Select “Forgot all passwords?” if it appears, then follow the recovery prompts. Do not assume that every Mac presents the same choices. If recovery cannot verify that you are authorized to use the Mac, contact Apple Support or the organization that manages the device.

How Do You Update the Login Keychain After a Password Reset?

The login keychain is encrypted storage used by macOS for saved passwords and other secure information. Its password normally matches the Mac login password.

Changing your own password with the old password available normally keeps the login keychain synchronized. An administrator or recovery reset may not update the existing keychain because the old password was not supplied. After signing in, macOS may ask for the previous password so it can unlock that keychain.

• If you remember the previous login password, enter it when macOS asks for the old keychain password.
• If you cannot remember it, accept the onscreen option to create a new keychain when offered. Information stored only in the old keychain may remain unavailable.
• Do not manually reset the default keychain as a first step. Apple recommends doing that only when advised by Apple Support because resetting it deletes passwords saved in that keychain.

What Should You Check If the New Mac Password Does Not Work?

If the new Mac login password is rejected, check the entry and the selected account before trying another reset.

• Confirm that the login window shows the correct user account.
• Check whether Caps Lock is on. Mac passwords distinguish uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Check the Input menu at the login window and select the keyboard language or layout used when the password was created.
• Type the new Mac login password, not the Apple Account password or email address.
• Restart the Mac if System Settings or the reset process instructed you to do so.
• If the account is temporarily locked after repeated attempts, wait for the time shown on the screen, restart, and try again carefully.
• If the password works but keychain prompts continue, treat that as a keychain issue rather than another failed login-password change.

If these checks and the official reset prompts do not restore access, contact Apple Support. For a work- or school-managed Mac, contact the organization’s administrator instead.