To reset a forgotten Mac password, restart the Mac, enter a password up to three times, then click the question mark or reset message in the login window and follow the prompts to create a new one. If the login window doesn't offer a reset, start up from macOS Recovery and choose Forgot all passwords, or type resetpassword in Terminal.
Here's what trips people up. The password your Mac wants is your Mac login password, not the password, email address or phone number of your Apple Account. And if you're asked for a recovery key, that's a 24-character FileVault code, which isn't the same thing as an Apple Account recovery key. It never includes the letters I or S, or the numbers 1 or 0, so if you think you see one of those, look again. On macOS Tahoe 26 or later, the key might be waiting in the Passwords app on your iPhone, iPad or another Mac.
Check these before you reset anything
- Restart first. If there's no restart option, hold the power or Touch ID button for up to 10 seconds until the Mac turns off, then turn it on again.
- Make sure you're at the login window. A blank screen, Activation Lock screen or lock symbol is a different problem: your Mac isn't starting up all the way.
- Type the right case. If Caps Lock is on, the password field shows a Caps Lock symbol.
- Check the Input menu in the corner of the login window, so your keyboard is set to the right language.
- If you can log in to your own account or another administrator account, you don't need a reset at all. Change the password in Users & Groups settings.
Your reset options, in order
| What you see | What to do, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| A question mark or reset message after up to three tries | Click it and reset from the login window |
| A message that your account is locked | Wait the stated time, restart, try again, then use Recovery |
| No message after three tries | Restart and try again, then use Recovery |
| Recovery doesn't ask you for a new password | Run resetpassword in Terminal from Recovery |
| Nothing has worked | Erase the Mac from Recovery, which deletes every account and its data |
Reset from the login window
- Click the question mark next to the password field. You might see your password hint, if you set one, or a message such as Reset Password or Restart and show password reset options.
- Click the reset message. The prompts that follow vary with how your Mac is set up.
- If asked, enter your recovery key, or sign in to your Apple Account and enter the verification code sent to your other devices, then pick the user to reset.
- If asked to select a volume, choose your startup disk, such as Macintosh HD. If asked for a user you know the password for, click Forgot all passwords.
- Allow your Mac to deactivate if it asks. Apple says this is temporary.
- Let it create a new keychain for your passwords if asked, then create your new password, restart and log in.
Reset from macOS Recovery
If the login window route didn't work, the next stop is macOS Recovery. On a Mac with Apple silicon, you get there by holding the power button until you see Loading startup options. On an Intel Mac, it's Command-R straight after you press the power button.
- When Recovery asks you to select a user you know the password for, click Forgot all passwords.
- Follow the prompts. You may need to sign in to the Apple Account previously used with this Mac, enter your recovery key, select Macintosh HD and allow the Mac to deactivate.
- Click Exit to Recovery when you see it.
- If you were able to create a new password, choose Restart from the Apple menu and log in with it.
- If you weren't, stay in Recovery and choose Terminal from the Utilities menu.
- Type resetpassword and press Return, select I forgot my password or My password doesn't work when logging in, then click Next.
- Create a new password for your account, and for any other user accounts, then restart.
If you can't find your FileVault recovery key
The FileVault recovery key is created when FileVault is turned on. If the Mac asking for it runs macOS Tahoe 26 or later, you can look it up on another device that's signed in to the same Apple Account and has iCloud Passwords & Keychain turned on.
- Open the Passwords app on that iPhone, iPad or other Mac.
- Type recovery key in the Search field.
- Open the result that has the name of the locked Mac.
- Tap or click the dots in the Recovery Key field to show the key.
If it isn't there, go back to the reset options in Recovery.
Erasing the Mac as a last resort
If nothing else works, you can get back into your Mac by erasing it. Be clear on what that means: it permanently removes each user account, its password and its data. That's why a recent backup matters before you ever get here.
- Shut down or turn off your Mac, then start up from macOS Recovery.
- When asked to select a user you know the password for, choose Erase Mac from the Recovery Assistant menu in the menu bar.
- Click Erase Mac, then Erase Mac again to confirm. The Mac restarts by itself.
- If it starts up to a question mark, turn it off and reinstall macOS from Recovery.
- If it shows an Activate Mac window, join Wi-Fi or plug in a network cable, and enter your Apple Account details, not your login name or password.
- Once it's activated, click Exit to Recovery and reinstall macOS.
If you're erasing because you're passing the Mac on rather than because you're locked out, there's a cleaner route, and I've covered it in my guide to factory resetting a Mac.
My verdict on resetting a Mac password
I'd always start with the login window, because it's the quickest fix and doesn't touch your files. If it doesn't offer a reset, go to Recovery, and keep Erase Mac for when everything else has failed. Once you're back in, write your FileVault recovery key down somewhere safe that isn't the Mac itself. And if you're tidying the Mac up while you're in there, here's how to go about removing apps from a Mac completely.
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Frequently asked questions
Is my Mac password the same as my Apple Account password?
Not necessarily. The login window wants your Mac login password, not the password, email address or phone number of your Apple Account.
Why doesn't my Mac show a password reset option?
Enter a password up to three times. If no reset message appears, restart and try again, then use the reset options in macOS Recovery.
What is a FileVault recovery key?
A 24-character code of letters and numbers created when FileVault is turned on. It's not the same as an Apple Account recovery key and never includes I, S, 1 or 0.
Where can I find my FileVault recovery key?
If the Mac runs macOS Tahoe 26 or later, search recovery key in the Passwords app on another device signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud Passwords & Keychain on.
Will resetting my Mac password delete my files?
The login window and Recovery resets don't erase your Mac. Erase Mac does: it permanently removes each user account, its password and its data, so it's the last resort.
