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, according to the recovery method configured for this Mac.
4. If you reach the Recovery utilities without being offered a new password, choose Utilities → Terminal, enter resetpassword, and follow the reset assistant. This opens Apple’s password-reset tool; it does not bypass FileVault.
5. Restart and sign in with the new password.

Before considering an erase: check every recovery option

• Retry the Apple Account route if it was enabled for FileVault recovery. A missing paper recovery key does not rule it out.
• On a Mac using macOS Tahoe 26 or later, its FileVault key may be saved in Passwords on another iPhone, iPad, or Mac signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud Passwords & Keychain enabled. Search for recovery key or the Mac’s name and reveal that item’s Recovery Key field.
• For a work or school Mac, ask IT whether it holds a recovery key. Another authorized user may also be able to unlock the disk.

Only when the configured recovery methods fail should you consider erasing the Mac using Apple’s linked instructions. Erasure permanently removes all user accounts and local data. Confirm what your existing backups contain before proceeding; you cannot recover unsaved encrypted files simply by reinstalling macOS.

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. Check the configured Apple Account recovery, a saved key in Passwords on another device, and your organization’s IT recovery options first. If none can unlock the disk, erasing and reinstalling restores use of the Mac but permanently loses local data that is not backed up. Keep a recovery key somewhere accessible outside the locked Mac.

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, FileVault recovery options — Apple Support