How to Reset a Forgotten Mac Computer Password

What This Mac Password Reset Guide Covers

A forgotten Mac computer password can usually be reset from the login window, with your Apple ID, or in macOS Recovery. Start with the option shown on the Mac, because the correct method depends on which password is unavailable.

• The Mac login password unlocks a local user account and allows access to files stored under that account.
• The Apple ID password belongs to the Apple account used for services such as iCloud. Changing it does not automatically change the Mac login password.
• If the login window offers an Apple ID reset option, use that method first.
• If no reset option appears, start macOS Recovery and use its password reset tools.
• If the Mac requests a FileVault recovery key, the encrypted disk must be unlocked before the password can be changed safely.

These instructions explain how to reset a password on a Mac computer. They are not the same as a full Mac computer reset, which erases or reinstalls macOS.

How to Reset Your Mac Password Using Recovery Mode

macOS Recovery is a built-in startup environment containing repair, password reset, erase, and reinstallation tools. Shut down the Mac before starting, then use the startup method that matches its processor.

1. On a Mac with Apple silicon, press and hold the power button until startup options appear. Select Options, then Continue.
2. On an Intel-based Mac, turn it on and immediately hold Command and R until the Apple logo or another startup screen appears.
3. If asked, select a volume, choose an administrator account you know, and enter its password. If no password is known, look for an option indicating that all passwords were forgotten.
4. Follow the displayed prompts to select the account whose password needs to be reset.
5. Enter and confirm a new login password. Add a useful hint that does not reveal the password.
6. Restart the Mac and sign in with the new password.

If the reset assistant does not appear, open Terminal from the Utilities menu in macOS Recovery, enter resetpassword, and press Return. However, the permitted HTML excludes strong? Oops strong not allowed. Need remove. JSON currently invalid conceptual allowed tags. Must fix before final. Also if account selection or disk unlock fails, do not repeatedly guess recovery credentials. Move to the FileVault section below.

How to Reset Your Mac Password With Your Apple ID

The Apple ID option may appear after several unsuccessful login attempts. It lets an eligible user set a new Mac login password without manually opening the full Recovery environment.

1. At the Mac login window, enter the password until a reset message or question mark appears.
2. Select the message offering to reset the password with an Apple ID or Apple account.
3. Enter the requested Apple account credentials and complete any identity check shown on a trusted device.
4. Select the local Mac account, enter a new login password twice, and add a password hint.
5. Restart if prompted, then unlock the Mac computer with the new password.

If the Apple ID password itself is forgotten, recover that account first. An Apple ID reset and a Mac computer password reset are separate processes, even when the Mac uses the Apple account to verify your identity.

What to Do When a Mac Says the Account Is Locked or Disabled

A locked or disabled message usually means repeated unsuccessful sign-in attempts triggered a temporary security restriction. A simple forgotten password means the account remains available but the entered password is incorrect.

• If the screen gives a waiting period, stop entering passwords and wait for that period to end before trying again.
• If a password reset option appears, use it instead of continuing to guess.
• If another administrator account exists on the Mac, its user may be able to reset the affected local account in system settings.
• If the message concerns the Apple account rather than the local Mac account, complete the Apple account recovery prompts.
• If the screen shows Activation Lock, enter the Apple account previously associated with the Mac. Resetting a local login password does not remove Activation Lock.

Read the full message carefully before attempting to unlock the Mac computer. The wording identifies whether the restriction affects a local user, the Apple account, the encrypted disk, or Activation Lock.

How FileVault Changes a Mac Password Reset

FileVault is macOS disk encryption that protects local data until an authorized password or recovery key unlocks the startup disk. When FileVault is turned on, changing a password may require an authorized user, an Apple account, or the FileVault recovery key created when encryption was enabled.

1. Check whether the reset assistant asks for an Apple account or a recovery key.
2. Enter the FileVault recovery key exactly, including letters, numbers, and hyphens if displayed that way in your saved record.
3. Select the correct local account and create its new login password.
4. Restart and confirm that the new password unlocks both the encrypted disk and the account.

A recovery key is not the same as a password hint or device passcode. If neither an authorized account nor the recovery key is available, encrypted local files generally cannot be opened through a password reset.

How to Reset a Mac Computer When No Recovery Option Works

Erasing the Mac and reinstalling macOS is the last resort when no valid password, Apple account recovery method, administrator account, or FileVault recovery key remains. A full Mac computer reset removes local accounts, settings, and files that are not stored in a separate backup or synced elsewhere.

1. Confirm that every available password and recovery method has been checked.
2. Start macOS Recovery using the appropriate startup steps.
3. Choose the erase or reinstall options presented by Recovery and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. After installation, complete setup and restore only from a backup you recognize.

Do not erase the Mac if important local data has no backup and you may still locate the correct FileVault key or account credentials. Erasing does not bypass Activation Lock; the associated Apple account may still be required during setup.

How to Contact Support for More Mac Password Help

Contact Apple Support when Recovery cannot find the startup disk, the reset assistant rejects known credentials, Activation Lock ownership needs review, or the Mac repeatedly returns to the same locked screen. Open {site} on another device and choose support for Mac login, startup, Apple account, or Activation Lock, matching the message on the screen.

Have the following information ready before requesting live help:

• The exact locked or disabled message shown on the Mac.
• The Apple account email address or phone identifier associated with the Mac.
• The Mac serial number, if accessible on the device or its original records.
• Access to trusted devices or trusted contact methods used for identity verification.
• The FileVault recovery key, if one was saved.
• Proof that you are the legitimate owner if Activation Lock is involved.

Support can explain the correct recovery path, but encrypted local data cannot be recovered merely by proving ownership when the required FileVault credentials are unavailable.