How to Change Your Mac Password

To change your Mac password when you know it, open Users & Groups in System Settings, select your account, and choose Change. If you are locked out, use the reset option at the login window, another administrator account, or macOS Recovery.

Your Mac login password unlocks your local user account. It is separate from your Apple Account password, even if you deliberately made both passwords the same.

When should you change your Mac login password?

Change your Mac login password if macOS or an administrator asks you to rotate it, someone else may know it, or you received a shared or hand-me-down Mac. On a previously owned Mac, create or use your own account instead of continuing to share the former owner’s credentials.

If you forgot the password and cannot sign in, you need to reset it rather than follow the normal password-change steps. Before starting, check Caps Lock and the keyboard language shown in the Input menu; passwords are case-sensitive, and an unexpected keyboard layout can make the correct password fail.

How do I change my Mac password when I know the current one?

On current macOS versions, use these steps to change a password on a Mac:

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
2. Select Users & Groups in the sidebar. You may need to scroll.
3. Select the Info button beside your user name, then choose Change.
4. Enter your current login password in the Old Password field.
5. Enter the new password, enter it again in the Verify field, and add a useful hint that does not reveal the password.
6. Select Change Password.

Some newer macOS layouts may show Login Password or Touch ID & Password directly in the System Settings sidebar. On older releases that use System Preferences, open Users & Groups, select your account, and choose Change Password. Menu wording varies by macOS version, so use Settings search for “password” if the expected control is not visible.

Changing the Mac login password does not change your Apple Account password. The Apple Account signs you in to iCloud and other Apple services; the local password signs you in to this Mac.

How do I reset a forgotten Mac password?

At the login window, enter a password up to three times and look for a question mark, password hint, or reset message. The available method depends on how the Mac, Apple Account recovery, and FileVault were configured.

1. Select the reset message and follow the prompts.
2. If asked, provide the Apple Account credentials associated with password recovery or the FileVault recovery key. These are not your forgotten Mac login password.
3. Select the affected user, create a new login password, and restart the Mac.

If no reset option works, start macOS Recovery. On a Mac with Apple silicon, shut down, then hold the power button until startup options appear and choose Options. On an Intel-based Mac, restart and immediately hold Command-R. In Recovery, choose “Forgot all passwords?” when offered and follow the instructions. If no reset flow appears, open Terminal from the Utilities menu, enter “resetpassword,” press Return, and use the Reset Password assistant.

FileVault encrypts the startup disk. An authorized recovery method can unlock the disk and permit a password reset, but resetting the password does not bypass FileVault. If you lack the required Apple Account recovery access, recovery key, another authorized user, or an organization-managed recovery method, the encrypted files may remain inaccessible. Erasing the Mac removes its accounts and data, so treat that only as a last resort.

How does an administrator change the password for another Mac user?

An administrator can change the login password for a different local account without knowing that user’s current password:

1. Sign in to an administrator account.
2. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and select Users & Groups.
3. Select the Info button beside the other user.
4. Choose Reset, enter and verify a new password, add a hint, and confirm the reset.

The Reset control may be unavailable while that user is signed in. Have the user log out first. Older macOS versions place comparable controls in System Preferences under Users & Groups.

Why does Keychain ask for the old password after a Mac password change?

Login Keychain is the encrypted store for saved passwords and other credentials. A normal password change that includes the old login password usually keeps the login keychain synchronized automatically.

After an administrator or Recovery reset, macOS may not be able to unlock the existing keychain because the old keychain password is still required. Enter the old login password if you know it. If you do not, accept the option to create or reset the login keychain; saved items held only in the inaccessible old keychain will not transfer automatically. Your Apple Account password remains separate and should be changed only through the Apple Account process.

Why is my new Mac password rejected or not working?

macOS can evaluate password strength through Password Assistant, and a work or school Mac may enforce additional length, history, or complexity rules. There is no single practical rule that applies to every Mac configuration, so follow any requirement displayed beside the password fields.

• If the new password is rejected, make it longer, avoid an easily guessed word, and ensure the New Password and Verify entries match exactly.
• If Change Password is unavailable, confirm that you selected your own account or signed in as an administrator for another account.
• If the old password is refused, check Caps Lock and the keyboard layout, then restart and try once more.
• If the change appears successful but login fails, restart the Mac and type the new password instead of relying on Touch ID.
• If an organization manages the Mac, contact its administrator because a password policy or FileVault configuration may control the reset.