Forgot Apple ID Passcode: How to Recover It

If you forgot your Apple ID passcode, reset the Apple ID account password using a trusted Apple device or Apple’s official account-recovery process. Start with a device already signed in to your account because it is usually the simplest way to verify your identity.

Apple now calls an Apple ID an Apple Account, but both names refer to the same account used for services such as iCloud and the App Store.

Is an Apple ID passcode the same as an iPhone passcode?

No. People who search “forgot Apple ID passcode,” “Apple ID passcode forgot,” or “forgot my Apple ID passcode” often mean one of two different credentials:

• Apple ID password: The password for your Apple Account. It protects iCloud, account information, subscriptions, and other Apple services.
• Device passcode: The number or password entered on an iPhone or iPad lock screen. It protects that specific device.

The distinction matters because resetting an Apple ID password does not remove a forgotten device passcode. If the lock screen is stopping you, follow Apple’s instructions for a forgotten iPhone or iPad passcode. That process may require erasing the device before restoring a backup.

If you can unlock the device but cannot sign in to your Apple Account, continue with the Apple ID password steps below.

Where do I start Apple ID account recovery?

First, check whether an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is already signed in to your Apple Account. A signed-in device is a trusted device, meaning Apple can use it to help confirm that the account belongs to you.

If no trusted device is available, open {site} and look for the option to reset an Apple Account password. You can also use the Apple Support app on a borrowed Apple device and choose the option for resetting someone else’s password. Using a borrowed device does not require adding your account permanently to that device.

Have your Apple ID email address or phone number ready. You may also need the passcode for a trusted device and access to a trusted phone number.

How do I reset a forgotten Apple ID password step by step?

1. Try a trusted iPhone or iPad. Open Settings, tap your name, open the sign-in and security settings, and select the password-change option.
2. Confirm the device passcode. Apple may ask for the passcode used to unlock that trusted device. This is not the forgotten Apple ID password.
3. Create a new password. Enter a password you have not used for the account before. Follow the requirements shown on the screen.
4. Use a trusted phone number if prompted. Apple may send a verification code by text or provide an automated call. Enter the code only in Apple’s recovery screen.
5. Check account messages carefully. Apple may send confirmation or recovery-status information to an email address associated with the account. An email by itself does not always replace verification through a trusted device or trusted number.
6. Sign in again where required. After changing the password, some devices and Apple services may ask for the new password.

If a verification code never arrives, confirm that the trusted number shown is yours, that the phone can receive texts or calls, and that airplane mode is off. Avoid repeatedly requesting codes in quick succession. If the screen offers another verification method, select it and follow the displayed instructions.

What if I cannot access my trusted device or phone number?

If neither a trusted device nor a trusted phone number is available, choose the option stating that you cannot use those methods. Apple may then offer account recovery, a process that uses additional checks before access can be restored.

Enter a phone number where Apple can reach you when the recovery screen requests one. Follow the on-screen directions exactly and watch for recovery updates. Apple may provide an estimated date or waiting period after the request begins.

Account recovery can take several days or longer. Apple Support cannot shorten the waiting period or guarantee that a request will be approved. Starting over, signing in on additional devices, or making account changes during the waiting period may interrupt or delay the request, so follow the instructions Apple sends for your specific case.

Do not give verification codes, recovery keys, device passcodes, or passwords to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. Apple Support representatives do not need your password to discuss recovery options.

How do I contact Apple Support about a forgotten Apple ID password?

Contact Apple Support when you cannot identify the account, the recovery screen rejects information you believe is correct, or you need help understanding which recovery option applies. Use the support choices on {site} and select the topic for Apple Account sign-in or password problems.

Have the Apple ID email address or phone number, the trusted number if known, and any message displayed on the screen ready. A support representative can explain the official steps and help identify the correct process. The representative cannot reveal the existing password, bypass identity checks, remove Activation Lock without the required evidence, or accelerate account recovery.

How do I secure my Apple ID after recovering it?

1. Keep the new password unique. Do not reuse a password from email, banking, social media, or another account.
2. Review trusted phone numbers. In the Apple Account sign-in and security settings, remove numbers you no longer control and add an accessible number when appropriate.
3. Review trusted devices. Remove unfamiliar devices or devices you no longer possess.
4. Check two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication requires both the password and verification through a trusted device or number. Confirm that its contact details are current.
5. Review account information. Check the account email addresses and security details for changes you did not make.
6. Store recovery details safely. If your account provides a recovery contact or recovery key option, read Apple’s explanation before enabling it and keep the information somewhere secure and accessible.

If you suspect someone else changed the password, secure the email account connected to your Apple Account as well. Never approve an unexpected sign-in request, even after you have regained access.