Forgot your Mac password? Four (4) easy ways to reset it and regain access
If you’ve forgotten your Mac login password, you can reset it using any of these four (4) methods:
- Use your Apple ID
- Reset in macOS Recovery Mode + use the Password Reset Assistant
- Use another admin account
- Use the FileVault Recovery Key
Methods to reset your Mac password
Method #1: How to reset your Mac password using Apple ID
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Best for: Users who linked their Apple ID to their Mac beforehand.
Difficulty: Easy
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If you’ve linked your Apple ID to your Mac, this is perhaps the easiest way to reset your Mac password:
- First, if you’ve entered the wrong password three times, you’ll be asked if you’d like to restart your computer. If so, select the arrow next to “restart and show password reset options.”
- Next, choose the option to “Reset it using your Apple ID.”
- Enter your Apple ID and password.
- If you’ve enabled two-factor authentication, input your verification code and click “Verify.”
- On the next screen, you’ll be asked to select a Mac user for the reset. Select the user and click “Next.”
- You’ll then be asked to input the new password, verify it, and provide a password hint (should you forget your password next time). After you’ve finished, click “Next.”
The next screen will inform you that your password reset is now complete, and you’ll be asked to restart and log in with your new password.
Method #2: How to reset your Mac user password using macOS Recovery Mode + the Password Reset Assistant
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What Is macOS Recovery Mode?
macOS Recovery Mode is Apple's built-in recovery environment. It lets you reinstall macOS, start up in safe mode, restore your files, transfer files between two Mac computers, repair your computer’s internal storage, or reset passwords when you lose access to your Mac.
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If you don’t have an Apple ID or can’t reset with it, try using Recovery Mode to reset your password:
- Start with your Mac turned off.
- For an Intel-based Mac, press and release the power button to turn on your Mac and then immediately press both the Command ⌘ + R key until you see the Apple logo or spinning globe.
- To turn on a Mac with Apple silicon, press and hold the power button. As you continue to hold, your Mac will turn on and load startup options. When you see “Loading startup options” or the Options icon, release the power button. Click Options, then click the Continue button that appears under it.
- When macOS Recovery loads, choose Utilities > Terminal from the menu bar.
- Type in “resetpassword” (one word) in the terminal window and hit Return.
- The Reset Password Assistant will open.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. Depending on your Mac's configuration, you may be asked to select a user account or choose a password reset option.
- Note: If FileVault is enabled, you may need your Apple Account credentials or FileVault recovery key to complete the reset.
- When you’re finished creating your new password, restart and log in (with your new password).
Method #3: How to use another admin account to unlock your Mac
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Best for: Shared Macs with multiple administrator accounts configured
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If you have admin privileges or know the admin account password, resetting your password is an easy process:
- Log in to your other admin account.
- Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups.
- Click the lock icon and enter your admin name and password.
- Select the user you need to reset the Mac password for and click on the “Reset Password” button.
- Enter a new password for the account.
Method #4: How to use the FileVault Recovery Key to unlock your Mac
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What is a FileVault Recovery Key?
A FileVault recovery key is a unique recovery code generated when FileVault encryption is enabled. It can be used to unlock your startup disk if you ever forget your Mac login password.
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If you’ve enabled FileVault on your Mac, you have two additional recovery options available to you: your iCloud Apple account or a recovery key (which consists of a string of letters and numbers).
FileVault is particularly useful for professionals, remote workers, and anyone storing sensitive personal or business info on their device.
To reset your Mac password using your FileVault recovery key:
- First, turn on FileVault. Go to Apple menu > System Settings, click ”Privacy & Security” in the sidebar, then scroll down to click on ”FileVault.”
- Click “Turn On.” You may be asked to enter your password.
- Next, you’ll want to choose how you’ll reset your Mac login password if you forget it.
- Choose “Create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud account.”
- Finally, store a copy of your recovery key in a safe place.
- Bonus tip: Reset using Single-User mode or Target Disk mode. Try Premium
How to prevent future Mac password problems
Creating strong and memorable passwords
To create a strong, unique password for your Mac computer, follow these NIST and CISA guidelines.
NIST recommends prioritizing length (at least 15 characters) rather than complexity. An important NIST recommendation is:
- Check your passwords against a list of compromised passwords to ensure your security. With LastPass, you have Dark Web Monitoring, which tracks your passwords automatically.
- Using password managers to create, store, and fill passwords for you automatically – and securely
- Adopting phishing-resistant MFA for privileged users and applications that contain sensitive info (health, government, financial, or trade data)
How LastPass helps prevent Mac password lockouts
It’s a busy world out there. The average person juggles more than 100 passwords.
If you’re struggling to remember all your logins, there’s a simpler option: With the LastPass generator, you can automatically create strong passwords that align with NIST and CISA standards.
And you can keep them safe in a military-grade vault built on a zero-knowledge model, which means your data remains confidential to you; not even LastPass can see it.
And for your added protection, we’ve introduced passwordless, adaptive authentication options that repel today’s most sophisticated browser-based attacks.
So, go ahead: Take LastPass Premium for a free, no-obligation test drive today and join millions of customers in having greater peace of mind.
Additional Mac password security tips
Setting up a password hint for your Mac
A password hint can serve as a mnemonic device to help you remember your Mac password. The hint will appear if you input the wrong password three times or click the question mark in the password field on the login screen.
To add a password hint, you’ll have to change your password.
If you have a macOS Sequoia 15, for example, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Users & Groups in the sidebar.
Click next to your username and select "Change."
Enter your existing password in the Old Password field, enter and verify your new password, and then create a password hint. Finally, click “Change Password.”
If you have any of these macOS, you can click the key next to the New Password field to use the Password Assistant:
- macOS Sonoma 14
- macOS Ventura 13
- macOS Monterey 12
- macOS Big Sur 11.0
- macOS Catalina 10.15
- macOS Mojave 10.14
- macOS High Sierra
Protecting your Mac: Best practices for securing your data and preventing unauthorized password resets
Whether you’re a MacBook Pro (Apple Silicon M1/M2) or Intel-based Mac user, securing your Mac data is easy with these best practices:
- Turning off automatic login: Many of your fellow Mac users favor automatic login for ease and convenience. But avoiding password authentication can be a double-edged sword. If your laptop is lost or stolen, the thief can easily access all your data. To turn off automatic login, head to System Settings > Users & Groups > Login Options. You may need to enter your password before clicking Off in the “Automatic Login” menu.
- Enable FileVault: This encrypts your entire hard drive. So, even if the thief removes your drive and connects it to another Mac to copy your files, photos, and documents, your data is safe. See above for instructions on how to enable FileVault.
- Deploy anti-virus and anti-malware protection: One of the top ways attackers can access your data is through a malware infection. To protect your Mac, deploy one of these top 10 anti-virus software.
- Strengthen your access controls: Attackers can exploit weak access controls to steal your data. Fighting back includes setting up these Mac security settings such as turning on Find my Mac, disabling automatic connections to public Wi-Fi, using a VPN, setting up a lock-screen passcode, and disabling network file sharing.
- Keep your macOS updated: Keeping up with updates is critical to system performance and security. Here's how you can use Software Update to keep your Mac updated.
- Protect your Apple account with 2FA: With credential-based attacks rising, enabling two-step authentication on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac adds another layer of security.
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How to set up two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect data on your Mac:
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Bonus Tip: Turn on Automatic Verification for secure sign-in to apps and websites.
FAQ: Forgot Mac password
How do I unlock my Mac if I forgot my password?
If you’ve forgotten your Mac login password, you can reset with:
- Apple ID recovery
- MacOS Recovery + Password Reset Assistant
- FileVault recovery key
- Another admin account
To help avoid future lockouts, consider storing important recovery info and account credentials in a secure password manager like LastPass.
Can I unlock my Mac without a password?
Yes. If you have the required recovery credentials (such as your Apple Account or FileVault recovery key), you can reset the password and regain access.
Keeping recovery credentials securely stored in LastPass can make them easier to locate when needed.
How do you factory reset a Mac if you don't have the password?
Note that factory resets will erase all previous settings and data. A factory reset is useful, however, if you’ve inherited a Mac and don’t have the password to access it.
First, it’s important to know which macOS your Mac is running. If, for example, you have macOS Ventura 13 or later: From the Apple menu in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings. Click General in the sidebar, then scroll down and click Transfer or Reset. Finally, click Erase All Content and Settings.
How do I find my Apple Mac password?
If you've forgotten your Mac login password, you'll generally need to reset it. Keychain Access may store website certificates, but not necessarily your current Mac login password.
Why won't my Mac let me log in with the correct password?
- Caps Lock is on
- Your keyboard has faulty keys
- If using a Bluetooth keyboard, it may have glitched
- Corrupt settings
You can fix this by:
- Resetting the NVRAM, which stores data to boot your Mac quickly
- Resetting the System Management Controller, which controls the power supply and distribution on your Mac (the process is different depending on whether you have an Apple Silicon Mac or Intel Mac with T2 security chip)
- Booting your Mac in Safe Mode
- Resetting your password (see all reset options earlier in this article)
If you've recently changed a password, verify that any saved credentials are up to date. LastPass makes it easy to keep your passwords organized and your login info updated.
