Lost Your Apple Password? How to Recover It

If you lost your Apple Account password, reset it on a trusted Apple device or begin Apple’s official recovery process. Apple cannot reveal your existing password, but Apple’s verified tools can help you create a new one after confirming that the account belongs to you.

Which Apple password did I lose?

Before trying to recover a lost Apple password, identify which credential is blocking you. Apple uses several credentials for different purposes:

• An Apple Account password signs you in to Apple services such as iCloud and the App Store. Apple ID is now called Apple Account, but the same sign-in information still works.
• A device passcode unlocks an iPhone or iPad. It is not your Apple Account password, even if you chose similar characters.
• A Screen Time passcode protects Screen Time restrictions. Resetting the Apple Account password does not automatically change it.
• An app-specific password lets a third-party app access certain Apple data. It is managed separately from the main account password.

If your search was “I lost my Apple password” or “forgot my Apple password,” check the wording on the sign-in screen. These instructions apply when the screen requests the password for your Apple Account, not a device or Screen Time passcode.

How do I reset my Apple Account password on a trusted device?

A trusted device is an iPhone, iPad, or Mac already signed in to your Apple Account and recognized by Apple for identity verification. This is usually the most direct way to reset a lost Apple Account password.

On an iPhone or iPad that is already signed in:

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

On a Mac that is already signed in:

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

Complete only the verification steps displayed by Apple. A device security feature may require an additional delay before a critical account change can be made.

How do I reset my Apple password without a trusted device?

If you have no trusted device, open the company’s official website, find the password-reset option, and follow Apple’s prompts. The website may direct the request to a trusted device when one is available.

You can also use the Apple Support app on an Apple device borrowed from a friend or family member:

1. Open the Apple Support app on the borrowed device.
2. Find Support Tools and select Reset Password.
3. Select Help Someone Else.
4. Enter the email address or phone number associated with your Apple Account.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions and remove any information you personally saved on the borrowed device.

Do not sign the borrowed device into iCloud as its main user. Use the Help Someone Else option so the device owner’s account remains separate.

What if Apple cannot verify my identity during a password reset?

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

Apple may ask for the Apple Account email address or phone number, a trusted phone number, and other account information it can use to evaluate the request. If you previously created a recovery contact or enabled a recovery key, follow the specific onscreen option for that security method. Never guess verification information or ask someone to bypass an ownership check.

To check an account recovery request, return to Apple’s official recovery service through the company’s official website and enter the same Apple Account email address or phone number used to start the request. Follow the displayed status instructions. Completion depends on Apple’s security review, and Apple Support cannot shorten or override that process.

What do I do if I lost access to my email or trusted phone number?

Losing an email inbox does not necessarily erase the Apple Account. If you are still signed in on a trusted device, check Sign-In & Security to identify the email addresses and phone numbers associated with the account, then use that device to reset the password.

If a verification code is being sent to a number you cannot use, select the onscreen option indicating that you did not receive a code or cannot access your devices. If Apple offers another trusted number, use only one that already belongs to you and appears in the official flow.

If no trusted device or trusted phone number is available, follow the option stating that the listed number cannot be used. Apple may then offer account recovery. Separately contact your email provider or mobile carrier through its verified support channel if the lost inbox or number may still be recoverable.

How do I contact Apple Support safely about a lost password?

Use the verified support contact block on this page or open the Apple Support app and choose the topic for Apple Account access. Confirm that any site, message, or representative is genuinely associated with Apple before providing account details.

• Never share your Apple Account password.
• Never give an unsolicited caller or message sender a verification code.
• Never disclose a recovery key to someone claiming that it will speed up recovery.
• Never install remote-control software at a stranger’s request.

Apple Support can explain official recovery options, but it cannot show you an existing password, bypass two-factor authentication, or waive account ownership checks.

What should I check after I regain access to my Apple Account?

After you recover a lost Apple password, secure the account before returning to normal use:

1. Review the trusted devices associated with the Apple Account and remove devices you do not recognize.
2. Confirm that every trusted phone number and sign-in email belongs to you and is current.
3. Review Sign-In & Security settings, including recovery contacts or a recovery key if you use them.
4. Check recent alerts and unfamiliar sign-ins. Change other reused passwords if the old Apple Account password was also used elsewhere.
5. Keep the new password in a reputable password manager rather than an unprotected note.

These checks matter whether you searched for “lost password for Apple Account,” “reset lost Apple password,” or “recover lost Apple password.” They help prevent the same access problem and reveal unauthorized changes made while the account was unavailable.