How to Recover Your Apple ID Password

To recover your Apple ID password, reset it on a trusted Apple device or start password recovery through {site}. Apple now calls an Apple ID an Apple Account, but the same email address or phone number and password still work.

If you are asking, “How do I recover my Apple ID password?” start with a device already signed in to the account. That is usually the simplest way to verify your identity and create a new password.

What do I need before I recover my Apple ID password?

A trusted device is an iPhone, iPad, or Mac already signed in to your Apple Account with two-factor authentication. Before trying to recover the password for an Apple ID, gather as many of these items as possible:

• A trusted iPhone, iPad, or Mac and its device passcode or login password.
• Access to a trusted phone number that can receive a verification code by text or automated call.
• Access to the email accounts associated with your Apple Account.
• Your Apple Account email address or phone number. If you need to recover your Apple ID and password, first check the account name shown in Settings or System Settings on a device where you are signed in.
• Your physical security keys if you enabled Security Keys for Apple Account.
• Your 28-character recovery key if you chose to enable that separate recovery feature.

A physical security key and a recovery key are not the same thing. A physical security key is a separate device used for two-factor authentication, while a recovery key is a code that replaces Apple’s standard account-recovery method.

How do I reset my Apple ID password on an iPhone or iPad?

Use these steps on an iPhone or iPad that is already signed in to your Apple Account:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name.
3. Tap Sign-In & Security.
4. Tap Change Password.
5. Enter the passcode used to unlock the device.
6. Follow the instructions to create and confirm a new password.

If Stolen Device Protection applies, the device may require a security delay before allowing a critical account change. Follow the message shown on the device instead of repeatedly restarting the reset.

How can I recover my Apple ID password on a Mac?

A Mac already signed in to the account can reset the Apple ID password through System Settings:

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

If your name does not appear in System Settings, choose Sign In, select Forgot Password, and follow the prompts. Apple may ask for a trusted phone number, a verification code, or other account information.

How do I recover the password for an Apple ID from a browser?

To recover an Apple ID password on another phone, tablet, or computer, use Apple’s official account page:

1. Open {site} in the browser.
2. Select the password-reset or forgotten-password option.
3. Enter the email address or phone number used for your Apple Account.
4. Complete the identity checks shown on the screen.
5. Use a trusted device or trusted phone number when Apple requests one.
6. Create a new password when the reset option becomes available.

The browser may direct you to a trusted device. A browser reset can also take longer when no trusted device is available. On a borrowed Apple device, another option is the Apple Support app: choose Reset Password under Support Tools, select Help Someone Else, and follow the prompts. Information entered through that flow is not stored on the borrowed device.

How do I recover my Apple ID and password without a trusted device?

Account recovery is Apple’s identity-check process for people who cannot sign in or reset their password through a trusted device. Try a trusted phone number, a borrowed device with the Apple Support app, or an account recovery contact before starting it.

1. Begin a password reset on an Apple device or through Apple’s browser-based recovery flow.
2. Choose the option stating that you cannot use your trusted device or trusted phone number, if that is your situation.
3. Provide the requested account details and a phone number where Apple can reach you.
4. Wait for Apple’s confirmation message and the stated date or time for the next step.
5. Follow the final instructions sent by text or automated call when the waiting period ends.

Account recovery may take several days or longer. The exact wait depends on the information available to verify your identity, and Apple Support cannot shorten it. Avoid using other devices signed in to the account during recovery because account activity may cancel or delay the request.

What should I do after I recover my Apple ID password?

After you recover the password for your Apple ID, sign back in wherever the old password is rejected.

• Check each iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and other signed-in device for password prompts.
• Update the password saved in your password manager or browser.
• Review the trusted devices and phone numbers attached to the account.
• Confirm that the account email addresses are current and accessible.
• Complete two-factor authentication prompts. If the account offers setup because it was not enabled, follow the security instructions shown.
• Never share a password, verification code, recovery key, or security key with someone claiming to provide support.

What should I do if Apple ID password recovery is not working?

If a verification code never arrives, select Didn’t Get a Code and request delivery to another trusted number when one is available. Check mobile reception, blocked messages, and whether the displayed phone-number ending is familiar. For a missing email, search Spam, Junk, Trash, Deleted, and Archive folders and check every email account associated with the Apple Account.

If you forgot a recovery key, look for the copy saved outside your Apple Account. When recovery-key protection is enabled and you lack both a trusted device and the recovery key, Apple’s standard account-recovery process is unavailable and access may be permanently lost.

If the account is locked, inactive, or disabled, use the access-recovery option Apple presents and follow its identity checks. Repeated password guesses will not recover the Apple ID and password. If you no longer remember the account name, check a device where you previously signed in before attempting to recover your Apple ID and password.