Mac Admin Password: How to Reset or Find It

A forgotten Mac admin password cannot be displayed or recovered, but it can be reset with a linked Apple ID, macOS Recovery, a FileVault recovery key, or another administrator account. Start with the sign-in screen because macOS may show the reset method already connected to your account.

Reset only a Mac that you own or are authorized to manage. If the Mac belongs to an employer or school, contact its IT administrator instead of changing account or recovery settings.

What is a Mac admin password?

A Mac admin password is the password for a macOS user account with permission to install software, change system settings, and manage other users. It is usually also the password entered when signing in to that local Mac account.

• Mac user password: Unlocks one local account. An administrator account uses its user password as the admin password.
• Apple ID password: Signs in to Apple services. It may help reset a Mac password when the accounts are linked, but it is not automatically the same password.
• FileVault recovery key: A separate code created when FileVault disk encryption is enabled. It may unlock the disk or allow a password reset.

macOS does not provide a way to reveal the existing mac admin password. If “Mac, I forgot my admin password” describes the problem, use one of the reset methods below.

What should you check before resetting a Mac admin password?

Before resetting a Mac admin password, rule out simple input problems. A reset can create extra work with the login keychain, which stores saved passwords and other credentials.

1. Check whether Caps Lock is on. The password is case-sensitive.
2. Confirm that the keyboard layout shown at the sign-in screen matches the layout used when the password was created.
3. If using an external keyboard, try the Mac’s built-in keyboard or another known-working keyboard.
4. Select the question-mark icon in the password field, if shown, and read the password hint.
5. Restart the Mac, then enter the password carefully instead of relying on Touch ID.

If the password is still rejected, enter it incorrectly up to three times. The sign-in screen may then display a reset message or a question-mark icon with recovery choices.

How do you reset a Mac admin password using Apple ID?

A linked Apple ID can reset a Mac admin password when macOS offers that option at the sign-in screen. The exact wording varies by macOS version.

1. At the Mac sign-in screen, enter the password incorrectly up to three times.
2. Select the message that says the password can be reset using an Apple ID, or select the nearby arrow or reset option.
3. Enter the requested Apple ID credentials.
4. If asked, choose the startup disk and the administrator account that needs a new password.
5. Create a new password, confirm it, and add a useful hint that does not reveal the password.
6. Restart if prompted, then sign in with the new Mac password.

If no Apple ID reset choice appears, the Mac account may not be linked for password recovery. Use macOS Recovery instead.

How do you reset a Mac admin password in Recovery Mode?

macOS Recovery is a built-in startup environment containing repair and password-reset tools. The way to enter it depends on the Mac processor.

• Mac with Apple silicon: Shut down the Mac. Press and hold the power button until startup options appear, select Options, and select Continue.
• Intel-based Mac: Restart the Mac and immediately hold Command-R until the Apple logo or another startup screen appears.

After macOS Recovery opens, follow these steps:

1. Select a known administrator account if requested, then choose the option indicating that you forgot its password.
2. Follow the Reset Password assistant if it opens automatically.
3. If no assistant appears, open Utilities and then Terminal from the menu bar.
4. Type resetpassword as one word and press Return.
5. In the Reset Password window, select the startup disk and affected account if requested.
6. Create and confirm a new password, then restart the Mac.

If Recovery requests an Apple ID, FileVault key, or Activation Lock credentials, provide the credential associated with that Mac. Do not erase the Mac merely because one recovery choice fails; erasing removes local data that was not backed up.

How do you reset a Mac password with a FileVault recovery key?

A FileVault recovery key is the unique code supplied when FileVault encryption was enabled, unless recovery was configured through an Apple account or an organization. The key must match the encrypted startup disk.

1. At the sign-in screen, enter an incorrect password up to three times.
2. Select the option to reset using the recovery key, if displayed.
3. Enter the FileVault recovery key exactly, including letters, numbers, and hyphens.
4. Select the affected account and create a new login password.
5. Restart and sign in with the new password.

If the key is missing or rejected, check any secure record created when FileVault was enabled. On a managed Mac, the organization may hold the recovery key. Apple cannot reconstruct a lost personal recovery key from memory or from the old login password.

How can another administrator reset a Mac admin password?

Another administrator account on the same Mac can change a user’s login password without knowing the old password. This method requires access to that second administrator account.

1. Sign in to the working administrator account.
2. Open System Settings and select Users & Groups.
3. Select the information button beside the locked account, or select the account using the controls shown by that macOS version.
4. Choose Reset Password, enter a new password and hint, and confirm the change.
5. Sign out, then test the new password on the affected account.

Changing another user’s password does not automatically unlock that user’s existing login keychain. The Mac may ask to create a new keychain after sign-in.

What should you do after resetting a Mac admin password?

After resetting a Mac admin password, confirm that normal sign-in and approval prompts accept the new password. Then repair the features that still depend on the old credentials.

1. If macOS asks for the old login keychain password and you know it, enter it to keep access to saved items.
2. If the old password is unavailable, choose the offered option to create a new login keychain. Previously saved keychain items may not be available afterward.
3. Open System Settings and review Touch ID & Password. Remove and add fingerprints again if Touch ID does not resume after the password sign-in.
4. Confirm that FileVault recovery information is stored securely and separately from the Mac.
5. Restart once more and verify that the new password works at the sign-in screen and for administrator prompts.

Keep the new Mac password distinct from the Apple ID password, even when Apple ID recovery is enabled. A memorable password hint should help the owner without exposing the password to anyone who can see the sign-in screen.