Forgot Your Mac Login Password? How to Reset It and Get Back In

You’re at the Mac login window and the password you’re sure of isn’t working. The good news: macOS has built-in reset paths, and several of them keep all your files.

Why: A Mac login password is separate from your Apple Account password — and if FileVault is on, the disk is encrypted, so the only ways in are a path Apple builds into the login screen. Use the option your Mac actually offers; not every Mac shows every option.

Fix 1: Use the reset message at the login window

After a few wrong tries, the login window usually offers a way out.

1. At the password field, type a guess and press Return a couple of times, or click the question-mark (?) icon next to the field.
2. A message appears — something like Reset it using your Apple Account or Reset it using your recovery key. Click that message.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts. The exact steps depend on how your Mac is set up:
   • Apple Account: Enter your Apple Account email or phone number, then its password, plus any verification code sent to your other Apple devices.
   • FileVault recovery key: Enter the long string of letters and numbers from when you turned FileVault on.
4. Set a new login password and a hint, then continue to the desktop.

If you reset with your Apple Account, you may be asked to create a new login keychain — your saved Safari and app passwords stay in iCloud Keychain, but the local login keychain starts fresh.

Fix 2: Have another administrator reset it (keeps your files)

If a second account on the Mac has administrator rights, that’s the cleanest fix.

1. Sign in to the other admin account.
2. Open Apple menu > System Settings, then click Users & Groups in the sidebar.
3. Click the info (i) button next to the locked account, then choose to change the password (you may need to click Reset Password).
4. Enter a new password and hint for the locked account, then have its owner sign in with the new password.

A reset done this way changes the login password but does not touch the account’s files.

Fix 3: Reset from macOS Recovery (“Forgot all passwords?”)

If the login window won’t offer a reset and there’s no other admin, boot into Recovery.

1. Apple silicon (M1/M2/M3 and later): Shut down, then press and hold the power button until you see “Loading startup options,” then click Options > Continue. Intel: Restart and immediately hold Command (⌘) + R until the Apple logo or spinning globe appears.
2. When asked to select a user and enter a password, look for Forgot all passwords? and click it.
3. Follow the prompts to reset using your Apple Account or your FileVault recovery key.
4. Restart and sign in with the new password.

FAQ

Will I lose my files if I reset the password? No, if you reset with your Apple Account, recovery key, or another admin. The account and its files stay; you’re only setting a new password.

I have FileVault on but lost both my login password and recovery key. Then there’s no supported way to decrypt the disk — Apple designed it that way. You’d have to erase the Mac and reinstall macOS, losing the data. Keep that recovery key somewhere safe.

Is the Mac password the same as my Apple Account password? No. They can match if you chose that, but they’re separate. Resetting one doesn’t change the other.

Sources: If you forgot your Mac login password — Apple Support