How to Remove a Password From a Mac

Updated 2026-08-25 · 1013 words

To remove the password prompt from a Mac at startup, turn on automatic login in Users & Groups, if macOS allows it. To stop password prompts after sleep, separately change the password requirement in Lock Screen settings.

These settings do not erase the account’s password. The password may still be required for administrative changes, manual logout, user switching, FileVault, or account recovery.

Before You Remove Your Mac Password

Automatic login lets anyone who can start or restart the Mac open the selected user account. Turning off the wake password also exposes the account whenever the Mac is left unattended. That person may be able to read files, messages, browser data, and other information available to the signed-in user.

Understand the three credentials involved before changing anything:

Mac login password: The password for a local user account on the Mac. It unlocks that account and may authorize changes to macOS.
Apple Account password: The credential used for Apple services and account recovery. Changing automatic login does not remove or disable this password.
FileVault recovery key: A recovery credential that may help unlock an encrypted startup disk. It is not a replacement for everyday automatic login.

If the Mac is shared, portable, used for work, or contains private information, keeping login protection on is safer. Each person should normally have a separate user account.

How to Turn Off the Login Password

On supported Macs, “removing” the startup password means enabling automatic login for one user. The account keeps its password even though macOS does not ask for it during a normal startup.

For macOS Ventura 13 or later:

Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
Select Users & Groups in the sidebar. Scroll if it is not visible.
Open the “Automatically log in as” menu and choose the account that should open at startup.
Enter that account’s current login password and follow any onscreen instructions.
Restart the Mac to confirm that the selected account opens automatically.

For an earlier macOS version:

Open the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
Select Users & Groups, click the lock if shown, and authenticate.
Select Login Options.
Choose an account from the Automatic login menu.
Enter the account’s current password and follow the onscreen instructions.

Automatic login applies during startup. macOS may still request the password after a manual logout, after switching users, or when the screen has been locked.

How to Stop Password Prompts After Sleep

The wake-password setting is separate from automatic login. Changing one does not automatically change the other.

For macOS Ventura 13 or later:

Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
Select Lock Screen in the sidebar.
Find “Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off.”
Open its menu and select the available option that matches when, or whether, macOS should request the password.

On an earlier macOS version, open System Preferences, select Security & Privacy, and find the setting that requires a password after sleep or the screen saver begins. You may need to unlock the settings with an administrator password.

A delayed requirement is safer than disabling the prompt completely. It gives the Mac some unattended protection while avoiding an immediate password request after every brief pause.

What If the Password Option Is Unavailable?

If automatic login is dimmed or the account is missing from its menu, macOS requires manual login under the Mac’s current configuration. Common reasons include:

FileVault is on: FileVault protects startup-disk data and disables automatic login.
The Mac is managed: An employer, school, or other organization can install a management profile that requires authentication.
The account uses an Apple Account password for login: macOS may require the login arrangement to be changed before automatic login becomes available.
The user lacks permission: Some system-wide settings require an administrator account and its password.
A security policy controls the setting: Managed profiles, smart-card rules, or other organizational requirements can prevent changes.
Automatic authentication is configured for iPhone Mirroring: On supported macOS versions, this can prevent changes to the wake-password setting.

Check Users & Groups, Privacy & Security, FileVault, and any device-management information shown in System Settings. For a managed Mac, contact the organization’s administrator. Do not remove management or encryption merely to bypass a policy unless the Mac owner or administrator has approved that change.

What If You Forgot the Current Mac Password?

Removing a known password is different from recovering access to a locked Mac. Automatic login normally requires the current account password, so it cannot be enabled as a substitute for password recovery.

At the Mac login window, enter the password until macOS displays a password hint or reset options. Depending on how the Mac was configured, the official recovery choices may use the associated Apple Account, a FileVault recovery key, another administrator account, or macOS Recovery.

Follow only the reset choices displayed by macOS or Apple’s official support instructions. Resetting a Mac login password does not remove the Apple Account password, defeat Activation Lock, or authorize access to another person’s computer. If the Mac belongs to an organization, contact its administrator because organizational recovery rules may apply.

What Are Safer Alternatives to Removing the Password?

You can reduce repeated typing without leaving the Mac completely open:

Touch ID: On a supported Mac or keyboard, register a fingerprint in Touch ID & Password settings. macOS will still require the login password in some situations, including after certain restarts or security events.
Apple Watch unlock: A compatible Apple Watch can unlock a nearby Mac when the required Apple security and proximity settings are satisfied.
Use a delay: In Lock Screen settings, allow a short interval before the password is required after the display turns off.
Keep separate accounts: Give each person their own account instead of exposing one account through automatic login.
Change the login password: If the current password is difficult to enter, replace it with a strong password you can remember rather than disabling protection.

For most people asking how to remove a password from a Mac, Touch ID, Apple Watch unlock, or a short delay provides convenience while preserving meaningful account security.