Perhaps you’ve just purchased a MacBook and begun filling it with all the top-notch Mac applications. You’re even personalizing your device to your liking, maybe you’ve renamed your MacBook for a personal touch or to make it more recognizable. And then, out of nowhere, the unexpected occurs.
One day, your MacBook requests your password instead of utilizing the TouchID login. After attempting various password combinations and even revisiting your initial password for possible typos, you still can’t log in.
Indeed, this can happen! You may forget your login details due to various reasons. Regardless of why you’ve forgotten your MacBook password, there are several methods to regain access to your account.
Unfortunately, there’s no ‘forgot MacBook password’ link on the login page. Instead, there are four different ways to regain access if you’re locked out of your MacBook Pro or Air. To assist you, we’ve compiled this guide detailing how to reset your MacBook password using all possible methods.
When Does a Mac Require a Password?
You might be wondering why your Mac’s password is crucial when you have TouchID. Also, why would Apple insist on setting up TouchID if you’ll still require your password?
Apple designed its MacBooks in a manner that you should be able to carry out all necessary tasks using TouchID. However, there are instances where macOS will request your password. These include:
- Logging back in after a restart or waking up your MacBook from shutdown (not always required if your MacBook is just in sleep mode)
- Altering certain system settings or preferences
- Modifying app permissions and related settings
- Running specific commands in Terminal
There may be other instances where you’ll need your login information, but these are the most frequent.
If you’re distressed because you’ve forgotten your MacBook password, the methods below can assist if you’re locked out of your MacBook Air or Pro.
Misplaced MacBook Password? Here’s Your Next Steps
MacBook passwords are unique in that you cannot simply copy and paste your Mac password in most cases. The upside is password managers like 1Password can help you remember all your account passwords securely. If you have 1Password installed on your other devices, you can check your password there and then manually enter it.
However, if you don’t have a password manager, what are your options? This guide won’t teach you how to bypass a MacBook password — unfortunately, you’ll need yours. In most instances, you won’t even be able to recover your Mac password. Instead, you’ll need to perform a MacBook password reset. Here’s how:
Reset MacBook Password Using Your Apple ID
If you’ve forgotten your Mac password but still have your Apple ID, you’re in luck! Your Apple ID is one of the simplest ways to regain access to your computer if you’ve forgotten your Mac login password. Although it might not be immediately evident how to use your Apple ID to reset your password, don’t worry — the instructions below will guide you clearly.
- Ensure that you’re on your login screen, not the lock screen. The login screen displays shut down, restart, and sleep buttons at the bottom, whereas your lock screen does not. To confirm you’re on your login screen, the best course of action is to restart your Mac.
- On your login screen, input any password three times. Since you’ve forgotten your MacBook Pro password, it doesn’t matter what you enter. Attempt to login three times, and on the third attempt, you’ll receive a prompt as shown in the screenshot below.
- When this prompt appears, you can click on the option that says restart and show password reset options. This will restart your computer and display the screen shown below. Note that in some instances, you may not get the option to sign in with your Apple ID immediately. If presented with several options, select the Apple ID method.
- From here, you can enter your Apple ID and click next. Enter your password.
- If 2FA or two-factor authentication is enabled on your Apple account, you’ll need to verify. If not, you’ll see a screen displaying the user accounts on the MacBook. Select your account and follow the instructions to reset your password. You may be asked to enter a password hint. Once done, click next.
- Restart your Mac and log in with your newly-set password!
How to Reset Password on Mac Using Another Admin Account on the Machine
If you’ve forgotten your MacBook Air password, you can use another account on your laptop to reset it. However, this account must be an administrator account. If there’s an admin account already set up on your laptop, then you’re all set. Otherwise, you’ll need to try one of the other methods in this guide.
Note that this method might not always work depending on your macOS version and the permissions granted to the other account. Nonetheless, it’s worth a shot! Here’s how to change your Mac password using an administrator account on your laptop:
- Log in to the secondary admin account on your MacBook.
- Open System Preferences or System Settings (depending on your macOS version).
- Go to Users & Group. Locate and click the padlock on the screen (if there is one). Enter the password for this secondary admin account.
- Choose the user you’d like to change the password for, then follow the next steps in the dialog pop-ups.
- Restart your computer and log in using your new password for your account.
How to Reset Mac Password Using FileVault
If you’ve enabled FileVault, you have less to worry about if you’ve forgotten your MacBook password. FileVault is a macOS feature that you can activate to encrypt your Mac’s hard drive/SSD data. You can activate this feature during your initial Mac setup or later on in the system preferences or settings.
Activating this feature generates a recovery key. You must have your recovery key for this method to work. Here’s how:
- On the login screen, enter any password three times and try to log in. Wait for the prompt “if you forgot your password…” to appear.
- Click on the restart and show password reset options button.
- On the next screen, enter your recovery key (you may need to select this option if presented with a list). Then, simply follow the next steps to reset your account password!
- MacBook Reset Password: Using Recovery Mode
You can also utilize safe mode or recovery mode if you’ve forgotten your MacBook Air password. Here’s the process:
Fully shut down your MacBook.
- While booting up, hold down the command + R buttons until your screen displays the Apple logo. If you are using a MacBook running
- Apple silicon (M1/M2 etc.), hold the power button instead. Release when the startup disk comes up. Select the startup disk.
- Once in recovery mode, click on Utilities on the top menu bar and bring up Terminal.
- In terminal, type the command resetpassword and press enter.
- Reset your password and restart your Mac, then you can log in with the new password!
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to reset a Mac password in Terminal?
To reset your password in Terminal, you need to boot into recovery mode on your Mac. Once in recovery mode, click Utilities > Terminal, then type the command “resetpassword”. Press enter, and you can then change your password and restart your laptop to log in.
How to reset your MacBook password when locked out?
If you’re locked out of your computer, several methods can help you regain access. If you’re unsure how to unlock a MacBook Air without a password (also works for Pros), attempt to log in three times. After doing so, the
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Have you ever found yourself locked out of your MacBook because you can’t remember the password? This guide will show you various ways on how to get back into your device.
It happens to the best of us – the excitement of getting a new MacBook and filling it with your favorite apps only to realize that you’ve forgotten your password. Your MacBook, now personalized with a unique name and packed full of apps, suddenly denies access and requires a password instead of TouchID.
If this scenario sounds familiar, don’t worry! There are multiple ways you can recover your account and regain access to your MacBook, regardless of why you can’t remember your password.
While there is no direct ‘forgot password’ link to click on your login page, there are four strategies you can apply if you are locked out of your MacBook Pro or Air. This guide will walk you through the different ways of resetting your MacBook password.
When Does a Mac Require a Password?
Even though you have set up TouchID on your MacBook, it may still ask for your password in some scenarios. Here’s why:
- When you need to log back in after restarting your MacBook or after turning it back on from being shut down (you won’t always need it if your MacBook is just asleep)
- For changing some system settings or preferences
- For changing app permissions and other similar settings
- For executing certain commands in Terminal
What to Do If You Forgot Your MacBook Password?
If you have forgotten your MacBook password, password managers such as 1Password can help you remember your passwords for all of your accounts. If you have 1Password installed on your other devices, you can check your password and then type it in manually.
But if you don’t have a password manager, don’t panic! In most cases, you won’t even be able to recover your Mac password. Instead, you’ll need to reset your MacBook password. Here’s how:
Reset MacBook Password Using Your Apple ID
If you have forgotten your Mac password but still remember your Apple ID, then it’s not a problem! Your Apple ID is actually one of the easiest ways to log back into your computer if you forgot your Mac login password. Although, it’s not immediately obvious how you can use your Apple ID to reset your password. Don’t worry, here’s how:
Ensure that you are on your login screen and not the lock screen. You can tell by checking if the shut down, restart, and sleep buttons are at the bottom. If they are not, restart your Mac.
On your login screen, enter any password three times. On the third attempt, you’ll get the prompt that says, ‘If you forgot your password, you can…’.
Once this prompt shows up, click on the option that says ‘restart and show password reset options’.
From here, you can enter your Apple ID and password. If 2FA or two-factor authentication is enabled on your Apple account, you’ll need to perform a verification.
Select your account, then follow the instructions to reset your password. You may be asked to enter a password hint. Once done, click next.
Restart your Mac and log in with your new password!
How to Reset Password on Mac Using Another Admin Account on the Machine
If you have another administrator account on your laptop, you can use it to reset your MacBook Air password. But remember, it has to be an administrator account. Here’s how you can change your Mac password using an administrator account:
- Login to the second administrator account on your MacBook.
- Open System Preferences or System Settings.
- Go to Users & Group. If there’s a padlock on the screen, click it. Enter the password for the second admin account.
- Select which user you’d like to change the password for, then follow the instructions in the pop-ups.
- Restart your computer and log in using your new password.
How to Reset Mac Password Using FileVault
If you have FileVault enabled, you have less to worry about if you forgot the password to your MacBook. FileVault is a macOS feature that encrypts the data on your Mac’s hard drive/SSD. It’s usually turned on during your initial Mac setup or later on in the system preferences or settings. When this feature is on, you get a recovery key. If you have your recovery key, follow these steps:
Enter any password three times at the login screen and try to log in. Wait for the prompt that says, “if you forgot your password…” to appear. Click on the ‘restart and show password reset options’ button.
On the next screen, enter your recovery key. Then, follow the instructions to reset your account password.
MacBook Reset Password: Using Recovery Mode
You can use safe mode or recovery mode if you’ve forgotten your MacBook Air password. Here’s how:
- Fully shut down your MacBook.
- While booting up, hold down the command + R buttons until your screen displays the Apple logo. If you are using a MacBook running
- Apple silicon (M1/M2 etc.), hold the power button instead.
- When you are successfully in recovery mode, click on Utilities on the top menu bar and bring up Terminal.
- While in Terminal, type the command resetpassword and press enter.
- Reset your password and restart your Mac, then you can log in with the new password!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to reset a Mac password in Terminal?
To reset your password in Terminal, you’ll need to boot into recovery mode on your Mac. Once in recovery mode, click Utilities > Terminal, then type the command “resetpassword”. Press enter, and you can then change your password and restart your laptop to log in.
How to reset your MacBook password when locked out?
When you get locked out of your computer, there are a few different ways you can get back in. One such way is by trying to log in three times. Once you do, the password reset option will come up. Click on the link to reset your password via your Apple ID and follow the instructions in the guide above.
Conclusion
If you’ve forgotten your MacBook password, don’t panic! There are multiple ways to reset it and regain access to your device. The methods mentioned above will help you to unlock a MacBook Pro without a password, although most likely you will need to do a reset.
Which methods did you try? Which one worked for you? Let us know in the comments below!
If you have saved your login information in Google Chrome, you might be able to retrieve your credentials. Follow our guide on how to find saved passwords on Chrome!