Forgot Your MacBook Password? Here's What to Do

If you forgot your MacBook password, try the reset option at the login window before using macOS Recovery. These methods can set a new login password without deleting your personal files, but FileVault may require your Apple Account or recovery key.

How can you tell whether your MacBook account is locked?

The Mac login password is the password for your user account, not necessarily the password for your Apple Account. Before resetting anything, check Caps Lock and the keyboard language shown in the Input menu.

After you enter the wrong password up to three times, the login window may show a question mark, your password hint, or a message such as “Reset it using your Apple ID,” “Reset it using your recovery key,” or “Restart and show password reset options.”

If macOS says the account is locked, wait for the stated time to pass. Then restart the MacBook and try again. If no reset message appears after three attempts, restart and return to the login window; the similar-looking lock screen does not provide the same reset options.

How do you reset a MacBook password with your Apple ID?

Apple ID is now called Apple Account, although some versions of macOS may still show the older name. This option works only when the Mac account was configured to allow password recovery through that Apple Account.

1. At the login window, click the question mark or the reset message beside the password field.
2. Select “Forgot password?” or the option to reset using your Apple ID.
3. Enter the email address or phone number and password for the Apple Account connected to the Mac.
4. Enter a verification code if Apple sends one to a trusted device.
5. Select the locked user, create a new login password, and restart the MacBook.

You may need an internet connection and access to a trusted device. If macOS asks to create a new keychain, approve it. A keychain stores saved passwords and other credentials; the old login keychain may remain locked because it still uses the forgotten password.

How do you reset a MacBook password in Recovery Mode?

macOS Recovery is a built-in startup environment for repairing macOS and changing recovery settings. The way you enter it depends on the MacBook model.

1. Shut down the MacBook. On a Mac with Apple silicon, hold the power button until startup options appear, then select Options and Continue. On an Intel-based Mac, turn it on and immediately hold Command-R.
2. If Recovery asks for a user password, select “Forgot all passwords?”
3. Follow the prompts to verify with your Apple Account or FileVault recovery key, select the startup disk, and choose the account to reset.
4. Create a new password, exit Recovery, restart, and test the new password.

If Recovery does not offer the reset flow, open Terminal from the Utilities menu, type resetpassword, and press Return. The Reset Password utility should open; choose the option stating that you forgot the password and follow its prompts. This command opens Apple’s reset tool and does not erase the disk.

Can another administrator reset your MacBook password?

A second administrator account on the same Mac can reset the locked account without knowing its old password. This requires a real administrator account, not the Guest User account or another standard account.

1. Sign in to the second administrator account.
2. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and select Users & Groups.
3. Select the information button beside the locked user and choose Reset.
4. Enter a new password and password hint, then sign out of the administrator account.
5. Sign in to the original account with the new password.

The user’s home files normally remain in place. However, resetting through another administrator may prevent the old login keychain from unlocking, so previously saved passwords may need to be entered again.

What if FileVault is enabled on the MacBook?

FileVault encrypts the startup disk so its files cannot be read until an authorized user unlocks it. When FileVault is active, changing a password may require the Apple Account recovery option chosen when FileVault was enabled or the FileVault recovery key.

A FileVault recovery key is a 24-character combination of letters and numbers. It is different from an Apple Account recovery key. Enter it exactly as recorded when the login window or Recovery asks for it, then set a new login password.

On compatible recent macOS versions, the FileVault key may appear in the Passwords app on another trusted Apple device signed in to the same Apple Account. Search there for “recovery key” and look for the MacBook’s name. For a work or school MacBook, contact the organization’s administrator because it may hold an institutional recovery key.

What happens if you cannot recover the MacBook password?

If no Apple Account option, administrator account, or usable FileVault key can unlock the MacBook, the encrypted files may be unrecoverable. Reinstalling macOS by itself generally does not remove the forgotten account password or unlock encrypted data.

Warning: Erasing the Mac permanently removes user accounts, settings, and locally stored files. Before selecting Erase Mac in Recovery Assistant, look for a Time Machine backup or another copy of important files.

After an erase, macOS can be reinstalled from Recovery and backed-up data can be restored. If no backup exists, erased local files should be treated as lost. Do not erase the Mac merely to test whether password recovery will start working.

How do you get help from Apple Support for a locked MacBook?

If self-service recovery fails, open {site} on another device and choose Mac support, then describe the exact screen and message shown. Have the MacBook’s serial number, your Apple Account details, and proof that you own the device available if requested.

Apple Support can explain the correct recovery path for the Mac model and macOS version, but support cannot supply a forgotten FileVault recovery key or promise that encrypted files can be recovered. Ask whether any remaining option preserves data before approving an erase.