How to Reset a Forgotten MacBook Password

If you forgot your MacBook password, reset the Mac login password with the lock-screen reset option, macOS Recovery, or another administrator account. Resetting the password unlocks your user account; it does not erase or factory-reset the MacBook.

Your Mac login password is the password used to open your local user account. It may be different from your Apple Account password, formerly called an Apple ID password.

What should you do first if you are locked out of your MacBook?

Restart the MacBook and confirm that you are entering the local login password, not your Apple Account email or password. Check Caps Lock and the keyboard language shown in the Input menu.

If the password still fails, choose the reset method that matches what is available:

• Use the Apple Account option if a reset message appears after failed login attempts.
• Use macOS Recovery if no reset message appears or the lock-screen process fails.
• Use another administrator account if someone can still sign in to an admin account on the same Mac.

These are the standard answers to “I forgot my MacBook password” and “How do you unlock a MacBook?” Do not erase the Mac merely because you see phrases such as “reset MacBook” or “how to reset my MacBook” in search results. Erasing is a separate last-resort procedure that removes local data.

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

The login window may offer an Apple Account reset after you enter an incorrect password up to three times. The message may say “Reset it using your Apple ID” or “Restart and show password reset options.” Apple now uses the name Apple Account, although some screens and searches still say Apple ID.

1. At the login window, click the question mark beside the password field if it appears.
2. Click the reset message. If the account is temporarily locked, wait for the time shown, restart the MacBook, and try again.
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 startup disk or user account if asked. If prompted for a FileVault recovery key, use the recovery key created when FileVault was enabled.
6. Create and verify a new Mac login password, add a useful hint, and restart.
7. Sign in with the new password.

If no question mark or reset message appears after three attempts, restart once and check again. If it remains unavailable, continue with macOS Recovery.

How do you reset a MacBook password using macOS Recovery Mode?

macOS Recovery is a built-in startup environment used for password recovery, disk repair, and macOS reinstallation. The startup method depends on the MacBook processor.

1. Shut down the MacBook.
2. On a Mac with Apple silicon, press and hold the power button until startup options appear, select Options, and choose Continue. On an Intel-based Mac, turn it on and immediately hold Command-R until the Apple logo or another startup screen appears.
3. If Recovery asks for a user whose password you know, select “Forgot all passwords?” and follow the prompts.
4. If that process does not offer or complete a MacBook password reset, return to the Recovery utilities screen.
5. Choose Terminal from the Utilities menu in the menu bar.
6. Type resetpassword as one word, then press Return.
7. In the Reset Password window, choose the option stating that you forgot the password or that it does not work.
8. Select the account, provide the requested Apple Account or FileVault recovery information, and create a new password.
9. Exit the utility, restart the MacBook, and sign in with the new password.

If Recovery asks to deactivate the Mac temporarily, allow it and continue. A password reset should not erase personal files, but an eventual erase-and-reinstall procedure will.

How do you reset a MacBook password from another administrator account?

A second administrator can reset the locked account without knowing its old password. A standard or Guest account cannot perform this reset.

1. Sign in to the other administrator account.
2. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and select Users & Groups in the sidebar.
3. Click the information button beside the locked user.
4. Select Reset, enter the administrator password if requested, and create a new password and hint for the locked account.
5. Log out, select the original account, and sign in with its new password.

This method changes only the selected user’s login password. It does not perform a full MacBook reset or change that user’s Apple Account password.

What if you also forgot your Apple ID password?

If the Mac requires Apple Account verification and you also forgot that password, recover the Apple Account before continuing. Use a trusted iPhone, iPad, or Mac where the account is already signed in, or begin Apple’s account-recovery process from {site}.

Account recovery may be necessary when you cannot access trusted devices or receive a verification code. Follow Apple’s instructions and wait for the process to finish; repeatedly starting recovery again can delay access. If another Mac administrator can reset the local account, that route may let you sign in without first recovering the Apple Account.

What happens to Keychain and iCloud after a MacBook password reset?

Keychain is the encrypted store that holds saved passwords, certificates, and other credentials. Because the old login password protects the existing login keychain, macOS may be unable to unlock it after an administrator or recovery reset.

If prompted, enter the previous password to unlock the old keychain. If you cannot, allow macOS to create a new login keychain; saved items that existed only in the inaccessible keychain may no longer be available.

macOS may also ask you to sign in to your Apple Account again or approve the Mac from a trusted device. After signing in, check iCloud syncing and update the Mac password stored in password managers, browsers, phones, or other devices so they do not keep submitting the old password.

When should you contact Apple Support about a forgotten MacBook password?

Contact Apple Support if no reset option appears, Recovery will not start, Apple Account verification fails, the FileVault recovery key is unavailable, or the Mac shows Activation Lock. Also seek help before erasing the Mac if it contains files that are not backed up.

Open {site} and choose Mac support, or use the Apple Support app on another Apple device. Have the MacBook, its serial number if available, your Apple Account information, and proof of ownership ready. Apple can explain the verified recovery or erase procedure, but it cannot disclose an existing login password or recover data protected by unavailable encryption credentials.