How to Reset Your Mac Password If You Forget It [4 Simple Ways]

Most Mac users set a login password to protect their privacy. If you forgot Mac password without any hint, you have to reset Mac password. Don't worry too much! Your Mac won't be locked forever. In this article, we will introduce 4 different methods to reset Mac password. You can use Apple ID, another admin account, FileVault, or reset the password in Recovery Mode.

To give you a clearer visual understanding of how to reset your Mac password, we've prepared a video on the process. Before watching, review the key points so you can jump directly to specific sections.

• 02:41 Show password reset options
• 03:22 Reset your Mac password with your Apple ID
• 04:47 Create a new password on your Mac
• 05:43 Enter your new password

If I delete everything in recovery mode, what can I do? Erasing all content in recovery mode generally refers to performing a factory reset or wiping the data. This will remove all data and settings from your device, returning it to its original out-of-box state. If you accidentally perform this action, here are some steps to follow: 1. **Contact Support**: If you're unable to access your device or encounter any issues, immediately reach out to your device manufacturer or carrier's technical support for professional assistance. 2. **Restore Backups**: If you had regular backups, now is the time to use them to restore your data. Most modern devices allow you to recover contacts, photos, apps, and settings through cloud services like iCloud, Google Account, or OneDrive, or from backups on your computer. 3. **Reactivate Your Device**: Follow the device setup process to reactivate it. This typically involves selecting your language, connecting to Wi-Fi, setting up a Google account (for Android devices), etc. 4. **Reinstall Apps**: Once your device setup is complete, you can download and reinstall previously installed applications from the app store. 5. **Update Passwords and Security Settings**: Make sure to change the passwords for all important accounts and re-establish any security measures like screen locks or fingerprint recognition. Remember that data wipe in recovery mode is usually irreversible, so having preventive backups is crucial. If you don't have backups, some specific data may not be recoverable.

There are many ways to reset the password on a Mac. When you first use Mac Recovery Mode to reset your Mac password, you might accidentally erase all data on your Mac. How can you recover deleted files from your Mac? The easiest way to get back lost data on a Mac is by using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool.

Data loss on Mac devices happens quite often, and we've listed some situations where you might need to recover data from your Mac:

• You accidentally deleted an important file and want to recover a deleted file on Mac from the Trash.
• When you upgrade macOS on your Mac, does updating macOS delete everything? No, but data loss may occur if the upgrade fails or gets stuck.
• You formatted a USB drive as FAT32 on your Mac and might have lost some crucial data that you wish to recover.

This article will teach you how to recover lost data after erasing your Mac in Recovery Mode.

Step 1: Select the disk to scan

In the main Data Recovery Wizard utility window, all drives connected to your Mac will be listed. Select the drive from which you want to recover lost/deleted files and click on the “Search for Lost Files” button.

Note: Before data recovery, it's better to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup for your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Step 2: Select the lost data/files that you want to recover

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will scan the disk volume you select immediately, and display the scan results in the left pane. If you're looking for a specific file, you can sort the results to locate the file you need.

Select the data/file type that you lost:

Step 3: Recover the Lost/Deleted Data

Once you locate the files to restore, preview them and click “Recover” to start restoring your deleted or lost Mac files.

How to Reset Your Mac Password Using Your Apple ID

You can easily recover Excel password or reset your email password, but if you forget your Mac login password, there is no simple way to retrieve it. The first method we recommend is to reset the password on your Mac using your Apple ID. You need to follow these steps to reset your Mac password.

Step 1. Make sure you're at the login screen.

Step 2: Enter your password wrong up to three times, and the option to reset it should appear.

Step 3: Tap “Reset with Apple ID.”

Reset the password using your Apple ID:

Step 4 Enter your Apple ID and password, then reset your new password.

Step 5: Click on the account for which you want to reset the password.

Click the Mac account.

Step 6: Type your new password and confirm it.

Step 7: Now you can restart your Mac and log in with your new password.

Reset the Mac password with another administrator account

This method is for those with more than one admin account on their Mac, or for those who don't have an Apple ID associated with their computer. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Make sure you're at the login window, then log in to your Mac with another account.

Step 2: Click “System Preferences” and then choose “Users & Groups.”

Click on “Users & Groups”

Step 3: Choose the Mac account for which you want to reset the password, then click Reset Password.

Step 4: Log out of this account, then log back in to your Mac with your new password. Feel free to share this article with anyone else who needs to reset their Mac password.

How to Reset Your Mac Password Using FileVault

FileVault is the disk encryption program for macOS. It can encrypt your Mac's hard drive and all the data stored on it. If you have FileVault enabled, you can reset your Mac's password in a similar way to the first solution. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Make sure you are at the login screen.

Step 2: Enter your password three times, and then you will be offered the option to reset it.

Step 3: Click “Reboot and show password reset options.”

Step 4. Enter your recovery key and click “Next.”

Step 5: Click on the account for which you want to reset the password.

Click “Mac Account”.

Please type your new password, and confirm it again.

Step 7: You can now restart your Mac and log in with your new password.

Reset the password for your Mac in Recovery Mode

If you don't have an Apple ID, don't have a security question set up, and forgot your Mac password, none of our recommended methods will work for you. Don't panic! You can still reset your Mac password in Recovery Mode. We'll walk you through it.

How to Start Your Mac in Recovery Mode

We'll show you how to start your Mac in Recovery Mode. If your Mac won't boot into Recovery Mode, you can try the fixes from that article.

Check your Mac's keyboard connection.

• Create a bootable USB drive on Mac.
• Boot your Mac in Safe Mode.
• Restore from a Time Machine backup.

Now we're going to start up your Mac in Recovery Mode:

Step one: Shut down your Mac from the login window.

Step 2: Restart your Mac, and press and release the Command-R keys when you see the Apple logo. If your Mac has an M1 chip, press and hold the power button until you see the startup disk.

Step 3: When you see the “Utilities” menu, you're in Recovery Mode.

Step 4: Click “Utilities,” then select “Terminal.”

Step 5: Open the “Terminal” app and type resetpassword, then press Return.

Step 6: Reset the password, then restart your Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resetting Your Mac Password

If you have more questions about resetting a Mac password, try these additional questions and answers:

How do I reset my Mac password in Terminal?

You can easily reset your Mac's password from Recovery Mode using the Terminal:

1. Boot your Mac into Recovery Mode. 2. Click Utilities, then select Terminal. 3. After opening Terminal, type `resetpassword` and press Return. 4. You can now reset your password and restart your Mac.

How to reset your password when your MacBook is locked

You can use your Apple ID to reset the password on your MacBook:

1. Make sure you're at the login window. 2. Enter your password up to three times, then you'll see the Reset Password option. 3. Click "Reset with Apple ID." 4. Enter your Apple ID and password, then you can reset the password. 5. Select the account for which you want to reset the password. 6. Enter and confirm your new password. 7. Now, restart your Mac and enter the new password.

How do I reset the password on a MacBook Air with the M2 chip?

You can change your login password in the System Preferences of your MacBook Air:

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences. 2. Click Users & Groups. 3. Click Change Password. 4. Enter your old password and set a new one.

Forgot MacBook password, no question mark. How can I reset it?

There are four ways to reset your MacBook password:

1. Reset using your Apple ID. 2. Reset using another Mac account. 3. Reset with FileVault. 4. Reset your password through Terminal in macOS Recovery mode.