How to Reset a Macintosh Password

To reset a Macintosh login password, first use the reset choices at the Mac login screen; if none works, start the Mac in macOS Recovery and follow the password-reset prompts. A Macintosh password reset changes the password for a local macOS user account, not the password for an Apple Account used with iCloud and other Apple services.

What does this Macintosh password reset guide cover?

This guide explains how to reset a Macintosh password when you cannot sign in to a local user account. A local login password is the password entered after the Mac starts or wakes from sleep.

An Apple Account password, formerly called an Apple ID password, is used for iCloud, the App Store, and other Apple services. If those services reject your password but you can still enter the Mac normally, use Apple's Apple Account recovery process instead of resetting the Mac login password.

What should you check before resetting a Macintosh password?

Restart the Mac and try the login password again. Check Caps Lock, uppercase and lowercase letters, and the keyboard language shown in the Input menu. Do not enter an Apple Account email address or phone number in the Mac login-password field.

Before starting, have the following available:

• Physical access to the Mac.
• The password for another administrator account on that Mac, if one exists.
• Your Apple Account details if the Mac offers an Apple Account reset option.
• Your FileVault recovery key if the reset process requests it.
• Access to another trusted Apple device if a verification code is required.

If another administrator can sign in, that person can open System Settings, select Users & Groups, choose the locked user, and select Reset. This is usually simpler than Recovery Mode.

How do you reset a Macintosh password from the login screen?

Use every reset choice supplied by macOS at the login screen before opening Recovery Mode. The available choices depend on how the Mac and its user accounts were configured.

1. Restart the Mac so that the normal login window appears.
2. Select the locked user account and click the question mark beside the password field, if shown.
3. Read the password hint and try the password again if the hint helps.
4. If no hint or reset message appears, enter a password up to three times. macOS may then display a reset choice.
5. Select the message that appears, such as restarting to show password-reset options or resetting with an Apple Account or recovery key.
6. Follow the onscreen prompts, select the locked user, and create a new login password.
7. Restart the Mac and sign in with the new password.

If the account is temporarily locked after repeated attempts, wait for the time displayed on the screen to pass. Then restart the Mac and try the supplied reset option again.

How do you reset a Macintosh password from Recovery Mode?

macOS Recovery is the Mac's built-in system for recovery and maintenance tasks. The startup method differs between Macs with Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs.

1. Turn off the Mac completely.
2. On a Mac with Apple silicon, press and hold the power button until startup options appear. Select Options, then Continue.
3. On an Intel-based Mac, press the power button and immediately hold Command-R until an Apple logo or spinning globe appears.
4. If asked to choose a user whose password you know, select “Forgot all passwords?” instead.
5. Follow the onscreen reset instructions. Supply the requested Apple Account information, verification code, or FileVault recovery key only when macOS asks for it.
6. Select the startup disk, such as Macintosh HD, and then select the locked account when prompted.
7. Create and confirm a new password. If macOS asks to create a new keychain for saved passwords, follow the onscreen instruction.
8. Exit to Recovery, choose Restart from the Apple menu, and sign in with the new password.

If Recovery does not offer a reset workflow, choose Terminal from the Utilities menu. Type resetpassword, press Return, choose the option that says the password was forgotten or does not work, and complete the prompts.

What if the locked password is your Apple ID password?

Do not use the local Macintosh password reset steps when the problem affects iCloud, the App Store, or another Apple service but the Mac login still works. Apple now calls an Apple ID an Apple Account, although older screens may still use the former name.

1. Open {site}.
2. Find the Apple Account support area and choose the option for a forgotten password.
3. Enter the requested account information and complete Apple's identity-verification steps.
4. Return to the affected Apple service and sign in with the new Apple Account password.

If the Mac login screen itself offers to reset the local password using an Apple Account, follow that onscreen option. It is using the Apple Account to verify your identity while changing the separate local login password.

What should you do if the Macintosh password reset does not work?

Stop repeating guesses if the account becomes locked. Check the exact message on the screen, then use the matching next step:

• If Recovery Mode will not open, confirm whether the Mac has Apple silicon or an Intel processor and repeat the correct startup method.
• On an Intel Mac, use the built-in keyboard or a connected wired keyboard if Command-R is not recognized.
• If a spinning globe appears, connect to a dependable Wi-Fi or wired network and allow Recovery to load.
• If macOS requests a recovery key or account credential you do not have, do not try to bypass that security check.
• If the screen shows Activation Lock, a lock symbol, or another startup problem instead of the user login window, treat it as a different issue.

Open {site} and choose Mac support when the official reset choices fail, Recovery cannot start, or the Mac requests credentials you cannot verify. Have the Mac and its onscreen error message available when requesting help.

Frequently asked questions about resetting a Macintosh password

Does resetting the Mac login password delete files?

The password-reset procedure is different from erasing the Mac or reinstalling macOS. Follow only the password-reset prompts, and do not select an erase or reinstall option. If macOS warns about a keychain or protected information, read that message before continuing because access can depend on the Mac's security setup.

What should I do if Recovery Mode will not open?

Shut down fully and retry the correct method: hold the power button for Apple silicon, or hold Command-R immediately after powering on an Intel Mac. Try the built-in or a wired keyboard on an Intel Mac. Contact Apple support if the Mac still opens to a blank screen, lock symbol, or other unexpected screen.

Can another administrator reset the password?

Yes. If another administrator account can sign in, its user can reset the locked account from Users & Groups in System Settings.

Is the Macintosh login password the same as the Apple Account password?

No. The login password unlocks a local Mac user account. The Apple Account password signs in to Apple services, though macOS may offer the Apple Account as an approved way to verify a local password reset.