How to Reset Any User's Password on a Mac

PDF download Download Article
A simple guide to resetting passwords on a Mac
PDF download Download Article

If you have an administrator account on your Mac, you can use it to change your own password or reset the password of any other user account in System Settings. If you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset it from the login screen or in Recovery Mode. This article will walk you through all the different options.

How to Change or Reset a Password on Mac

  • Change your own password in Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups . Click i next to your name, then click Change… next to the password field.
  • Log in as an admin to reset other users’ passwords from System Settings . Click i next to the user’s name, then select Reset… next to their password.
  • If you’ve forgotten your password, enter it incorrectly a few times from the login screen to see reset options.
Method 1
Method 1 of 7:

Changing Your Password in System Settings

PDF download Download Article
  1. Use this method if you know the password you want to change. If you want to reset another user’s password or if you’ve forgotten all your passwords, use one of the methods below.
  2. Open the
    Mac Apple
    Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and select System Settings (or System Preferences in older versions of macOS). [1]
    Advertisement
  3. You’ll find this in the sidebar on the left side of the System Settings window. You may need to scroll down.
    • In older versions of macOS, you will see this option in the main System Preferences window. [2]
  4. Select the user whose password you want to change and click the i next to it. A new window will pop up.
  6. In the window that opens, you’ll be asked to type in your old password, then enter the new one twice. You can also enter a hint to help jog your memory in case you forget the new password.
    • If you’re having trouble coming up with a good password, click the key symbol next to the New Password field for a suggestion.
  7. Your changes will be saved. Next time you restart your Mac, you’ll need to log in with the new password.
    8. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 7:

Resetting Another User’s Password in System Settings

PDF download Download Article
  1. As an administrator, you can reset the passwords of other user accounts on your Mac, even if you’ve forgotten them (or never knew them). The easiest way to do this is in System Settings . To start, log into your computer with your administrator username and password.
  2. Click the
    Mac Apple
    icon in the top right corner of your screen, then select System Settings (or System Preferences ).
  3. This option is located in the menu bar on the left side of the System Settings window. You might need to scroll down.
    • In older versions of macOS, you will find Users & Groups in the main System Preferences window.
  4. A new window will pop open.
    • In older versions of macOS, you’ll have to click the padlock symbol and enter your admin login credentials again before you can select the user whose password you want to reset.
  5. A window will open with options for resetting the password.
  6. Type the new password in the New Password field, then type it again in the Verify field. You can also enter a password hint to help the user remember their new password in case they forget it.
  7. Next time the user logs in, they’ll need to use the new password you set up for them.
    • Note that this is different from simply changing a password. You don’t need to know the current password to do it, but you or the user will need to update the password in the computer’s Keychain Access settings .
    8. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 7:

Resetting at Startup (Catalina or Later)

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you’ve completely forgotten all your passwords, you can usually reset from the login screen at startup. To begin, restart your Mac to get to the login screen if you’re not there already. [3]
    • If you can’t restart your Mac normally, press and hold the power button or Touch ID button until it turns off. Then press it again to power your computer on.
  2. Some methods for resetting your password require an internet connection. Click the
    Mac Wifi
    Wi-Fi button in the menu bar at the top of the screen and select a network.
  3. After the third failed attempt, you’ll see some options to reset your password. You may see one or more of the following:
    • “Restart and show password reset options”
    • “Reset it using your Apple ID”
    • “Reset it using your recovery key”
    • “Your account is locked. Try again in [duration].” If you see this message, you’ll need to wait for the stated amount of time to go by, then restart your computer and try again.
  4. If you get the “Restart and show password reset options” message, click it to restart your computer. This could go a few different ways depending on your settings:
    • If you’re asked which volume to recover, choose your startup disk (usually Macintosh HD ).
    • Sign in with your Apple ID and password if prompted. You might also need to enter a verification code from one of your other trusted devices .
    • If you have FileVault set up, you may be prompted to enter the recovery key you got when you first enabled FileVault. If you’ve lost it, you’ll probably need to reset your password from Recovery Mode .
    • You may see a message saying you don’t have iCloud recovery or a recovery key set up, in which case you’ll also need to reset from Recovery Mode.
    • If you’re able to successfully use one of the previous options, you can then select a user whose password you want to reset. Click Next .
    • Enter the new password, click Next , then click Restart .
  5. If you see this option, click on it to get started. Your Mac may restart (in which case, follow the instructions in the previous step to proceed), or it might immediately prompt you to enter your Apple ID and password. If the latter happens, log in with your Apple ID and click Reset Password . Next:
    • Do one of the following, depending on how your Mac is set up:
      • If prompted to save the user’s passwords to a new keychain, click OK . Your Mac will restart.
      • You might be prompted to select an admin user whose password you know so you can reset from that account. If you don’t remember any passwords, click Forgot all passwords?
      • Click Deactivate Mac if you see a Reset Password window with that option. Don’t worry—this won’t permanently erase or deactivate your account! It’s only temporary.
    • Enter your new password for each account you’d like to reset, then click Next . Click Restart when you’re done.
  6. If you enabled FileVault on your Mac, you should have a recovery key that you can use instead of your Apple ID and password. This is a long string of letters and numbers. If you see this option after three failed attempts to enter your password, click it. Then:
    • Type in your FileVault recovery key. If you don’t have it, you’ll need to reset from Recovery Mode.
    • Enter the new password and click Reset Password . Follow the prompts onscreen to finish the process.
    7. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 7:

Resetting at Startup (Mojave or Earlier)

PDF download Download Article
  1. After a few failed attempts, you may see a message giving you an option to reset your password. [4]
  2. You’ll only see this option if your account is set up to allow logging in with an Apple ID. If you get a message asking you to log in with your Apple ID:
    • Click the
      Android 7 Play
      play symbol next to the message and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your new password. Restart when prompted.
    • Log in with your new password. You may need to update the password in your keychain settings .
  3. If you have FileVault set up, you might see a message asking you to reset using your recovery key. This is a long string of letters and numbers you got when you turned on FileVault. If you see this option:
    • Click the
      Android 7 Play
      play symbol next to the message asking if you want to reset with your recovery key. The Password field will change into a Recovery Key field.
    • Type in your recovery key, making sure to include any capital letters and hyphens.
    • Follow the onscreen prompts to create a new password, then click Reset Password . You may need to update your keychain with the new password.
    4. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 7:

Using Recovery Mode

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you’ve tried simpler methods for changing or resetting your password(s) without success, you might be able to do it in Recovery Mode. The right way to start up in Recovery Mode depends on what kind of processor your Mac has. [5]
    • Apple silicon chip (M1, M2, or M3): Press and hold the power button until your Mac boots up and displays a screen with startup options. Click Options , then click the Continue button.
    • Intel processor: Press and release the power button to start up your Mac as you usually would. As soon as you release the power button, press and hold Command+R until you see an
      Mac Apple
      Apple logo or a spinning globe.
    • Connect to a Wi-Fi network if prompted to do so.
  2. At this point, you might be prompted to sign in with a known administrator account so you can reset your password(s) from there. If you see this option and you don’t know an administrator password, click Forgot all passwords?
    • If you don’t see this option, skip to the instructions for using the Reset Password assistant below.
  3. Depending on how your computer is set up, you might be prompted to use your Apple ID or your FileVault recovery key to reset your forgotten password(s).
    • Apple ID:
      • If you’re prompted for your Apple ID, enter your Apple ID and password. You may be asked to enter a verification code sent to one of your trusted devices.
      • Select the user whose password you want to reset. Enter the new password information and click Next , then click Exit .
      • Go to
        Mac Apple
        Apple menu > Restart and log in with the new password.
      • If you see an Activation Lock screen after you restart, click Exit to Recovery Utilities and proceed with the instructions below for using the Reset Password assistant.
    • Recovery Key:
      • If you’re asked for your recovery key, enter the combination of numbers and letters you received when you enabled FileVault on your computer. Make sure to include any capitalized characters and hyphens.
      • Click Reset Password and choose the user whose password you want to reset.
      • Enter the new password information and click Exit .
      • Go to
        Mac Apple
        Apple menu > Restart . Log in with your new password.
    4. Advertisement
Method 6
Method 6 of 7:

Using Terminal (Reset Password Assistant)

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you aren’t able to reset with your Apple ID or your recovery key in Recovery Mode, you should see a Utilities window when you enter Recovery Mode. If you see this option:
    • Click Utilities in the menu bar and select Terminal . This will launch the Terminal app .
    • When the Terminal window opens, type resetpassword . Press Return . This will launch the Reset Password assistant.
  2. Once you’re in the Reset Password assistant, you might be asked to log in with a known administrator password. If this happens, select Forgot all passwords? .
  3. Don’t worry, this is only temporary and won’t erase your Mac. Click Deactivate to confirm your selection.
  4. If you have Activation Lock enabled, you’ll need to log in with your Apple ID and password to continue. After logging in, click Next .
  5. In the Reset Password window, enter your new password information. If you’re resetting for multiple accounts, click Set Password next to each account.
  6. Once you’ve finished entering the new password information for every account you want to reset, click Exit .
  7. Open the
    Mac Apple
    Apple menu and select Restart . You should now be able to log in with your new password.
    8. Advertisement
Method 7
Method 7 of 7:

Erasing Your Mac

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you still can’t reset your password, you may need to reset your Mac completely and start fresh. You can also do this from Recovery Mode.
  2. Follow the instructions in the Recovery Mode method to start up your Mac.
  3. When asked to log in with an admin password, select Recovery Assistant > Erase Mac .
  4. In the Erase Mac window, click Erase Mac , then click Erase .
    • Your Mac may restart to a screen with a flashing question mark. If this happens, hold down the power button for a few seconds until it powers down.
  5. Once you restart, reinstall macOS and set your Mac up anew or from a backup.
    6. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Back up your Mac . Although these methods of resetting your password are relatively safe, it is always a good idea to back your computer up prior to doing edits.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • These methods will help you reset the password for logging into your Mac. To change or reset your Apple ID password, check out our guide .
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • If you’re having trouble remembering your password, check to see if you have a password hint set. Click the ? next to the password field to see the hint.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Show More Tips
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Automatically Shut Down Your Computer at a Specified Time
      How to
      Force Shut Down or Restart a Frozen Mac
      Can You Change Your Apple ID Without Losing Everything? Learn How to Keep What You Need
      How to
      Install MacOS on a Virtual Machine Using VirtualBox
      How to
      Tell if Your Mac Is Too Old to Update
      6 Quick Steps to Download & Install Spotify on macOS
      How to
      Install AltStore on an iPhone or iPad
      How to
      Change the Scroll Direction on a Mac
      How to
      Open Executable Files on Mac: Wine, Parallels, and Boot Camp
      How to
      Find Your Internal & External IP Address on a Mac
      How to
      Disable Password Login on Mac (Plus Troubleshooting)
      How to
      Create a TXT File on Mac
      5 Ways to Turn On a Mac Computer - wikiHow
      How to
      Quickly Open the Launchpad on a Mac
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-the-login-password-on-mac-mchlp1550/mac
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/100506
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102633
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/100506
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102673

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 51,554 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement