How to Recover or Reset Forgotten Password on Mac

Discovering an old MacBook and attempting to power it on, only to realize that you’ve forgotten your Mac password, can be a disheartening experience. Each failed login attempt adds to the frustration, leaving you unable to access your device. However, Apple has anticipated such situations and integrated MacOS with built-in solutions for resetting your Mac password.

In an increasingly digital world, the number of passwords we must remember continues to grow. Among the most critical are our Mac passwords, particularly for those who rely on a MacBook for work. Forgetting your Mac password can quickly turn into a nightmare scenario.

Nonetheless, there’s no need to panic. There are various methods and tools available to reset Mac passwords. The approach you’ll take depends on whether an Apple ID was linked to your Mac during the initial setup. If not, don’t fret; there’s an alternative method you can use to reset your Mac password. Let’s dive into the steps to get your Mac up and running smoothly again.

How to Find My Mac Password?

It’s true that if you haven’t stored or written down your Mac password elsewhere, it can be challenging to retrieve it. However, it’s essential to prioritize security and avoid storing passwords in insecure locations. While it may seem convenient, saving passwords in easily accessible places can make you vulnerable to hacking. Remember, your Mac is designed to be secure, so it’s crucial to follow the proper procedures for password management to maintain your device’s security.

That’s correct. Even with access to the Terminal on your Mac, you won’t be able to retrieve your Mac password. Apple’s stringent security measures ensure that passwords are encrypted and stored securely, making it impossible to retrieve them directly from the device. Therefore, if you’ve forgotten your Mac password, you’ll need to use alternative methods to reset it or regain access to your device.

How to Reset Your Mac Password?

Use Password Hints First Before You Reset Mac Password

Indeed, utilizing the password hint feature is a helpful first step in attempting to recall your Mac password. It can trigger your memory and provide clues to help you remember the password you set. If you haven’t already set up a password hint, it’s advisable to do so in the future whenever you create a new password. This can save you from potential frustration in the event that you forget your password later on.

To verify if a password hint is set up for your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of your Mac’s screen.
2. Select “System Preferences…” from the dropdown menu.
3. In the System Preferences window, click on “Users & Groups.”
4. Click on the padlock icon in the lower-left corner of the dialog box and enter your admin password if prompted.
5. Once the padlock is unlocked, select your user account from the list on the left.
6. Below the password field, you’ll see the password hint if one is set up for your account. If no hint is displayed, then there isn’t one configured.

If the dialog box doesn’t display a hint, it’s likely that you haven’t activated the password hint feature on your Mac or didn’t create one during setup. Unfortunately, you can’t activate it retroactively. However, you can try to remember your Mac password to enable the hint feature. While this may not be feasible now, consider activating it for future use once you regain access to your Mac.

To create a password hint for your Mac, follow these steps:

1. On the upper leftmost part of your Mac, click the Apple logo.
2. Click System Preferences…
3. Click Users & Groups
4. Click the “+” icon near the padlock icon
5. Select Administrator from the New Account dropdown menu to create an admin account.
6. Input the required information like Full Name, Password, and Verify.
7. In the Password Hint field, enter a related hint for easy recall if you forget your Mac password.
8. Click Create User.

Use Apple ID to Reset Mac Password

If you’ve signed in with your Apple ID on your Mac, you can use it to reset the Mac password from the sign-in menu. Entering an incorrect password three times will display the password hint. Additionally, you’ll see the option to reset the Mac password with an Apple ID. If the popup appears on your screen, you can reset your Mac password using the associated Apple ID.

To reset the Mac password using Apple ID, follow these steps:

1. Once you’ve entered an incorrect password three times, enter your Apple ID and password.
2. Click “Reset Password.”
3. A dialog will notify you that resetting the Mac password will create a new Keychain Access file. Click “OK.”
4. Enter a new password and create a password hint.
5. Click “Reset Password.”
6. Restart your Mac and log in with your new password.

If you have recovered access to your Mac, it’s strongly advised to incorporate an additional method for resetting your Mac password if necessary. Although the utilization of your Apple ID is enabled by default, you can pursue these steps to verify that this functionality is activated:

1. At the top left corner of your Mac screen, click the Apple logo.
2. Select System Preferences…
3. Choose Users & Groups.
4. Click the padlock icon located at the bottom left corner of the dialogue box.
5. Enter your Mac password.
6. Check the box labeled “Allow user to reset password using Apple ID.”

Utilize Another Administrator Account for Mac Password Reset

Apple’s operating system permits multiple administrator users on the same MacBook, which is advantageous if you have another admin account set up on your Mac. This means you can reset your Mac password by logging into another admin account. However, you still won’t be able to access your Mac account if you cannot remember your Keychain Access password and are unable to establish a new password.

Therefore, it’s imperative to access your Keychain Access to unlock all features requiring a Mac password. Unless you can recall your Keychain password, you must set up a new Mac password using an administrator account. If the other account you logged into isn’t designated as an admin account, you can only proceed with the Recovery Mode method, which will be discussed in the following section.

To reset the Mac password using another admin account, follow these steps:

If you possess the password for the other admin account, you can sign in using its credentials. Alternatively, you can request the owner’s admin account password.

Once logged in, follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple logo.
2. Select System Preferences…
3. Choose Users & Groups.
4. Click the padlock icon at the bottom left of the dialog box.
5. Enter the password for the other admin account and click Unlock.
6. Under the Other Users section, select the Mac account for which you want to reset the password.
7. Click Reset Password next to the admin account’s name.
8. In the new dialog box, enter the New Password, Verify it, and provide a Password Hint.
9. Click Change Password.
10. Log out of the current user account.
11. Sign in to your Mac account using the newly created password.

Use the Target Disk Mode to Reset Mac Password

If resetting your Mac password proves unsuccessful, consider using Target Disk Mode as a final option in this section. With Target Disk Mode, you can connect your Mac’s hard disk drive to another MacBook, allowing you to access and recover any data stored on your current Mac.

To utilize the Target Disk Mode option, you can follow these steps:

1. Turn off your MacBook.
2. Connect your Mac to another Mac using a Thunderbolt or FireWire cable. Note that a USB cable won’t enable Target Disk Mode.
3. Turn on your MacBook and press the T key on your keyboard while the booting process is underway.
4. Once the hard disk drive appears, you can now retrieve any data from your Mac.

How to Recover Your Mac Password?

Use Recovery Mode to Recover Mac Password

The benefit of using a Mac is that Apple provides built-in tools for recovering Mac passwords. If you find yourself unable to recall your Mac password despite your efforts, you can choose the Recovery Mode option.

If you wish to utilize Apple’s Recovery Mode feature, here are the steps to follow:

1. To begin, ensure your MacBook is turned off.
2. Press and hold the Command + R keys simultaneously while pressing the Power button. This key combination will prompt your Mac to boot into Recovery Mode.
3. Once the progress bar appears, release the keys and allow the progress to complete.
4. Select Disk Utility and click Continue.
5. Navigate to Utilities > Terminal.
6. Enter “resetpassword” (without capitalization or spaces) and press Return.
7. Choose the main hard disk drive where your Mac account is configured. Typically, this is the primary disk.
8. Select the Mac account.
9. Enter a new password and confirm it by retyping.
10. Provide a new password hint for the newly set password.
11. Click Save.
12. If prompted by a dialog, click OK.
13. Lastly, click the Apple logo and choose Shut Down…

Recover Mac Password Using Filevault

In the scenario described above, you might be concerned about the security of Recovery Mode. If resetting via Recovery Mode is possible, it raises the worry that anyone could reset any Mac they come across. This poses a significant concern, particularly regarding privacy and security. However, there’s good news: Apple has developed FileVault as an additional layer of security for your Mac. Not only does FileVault encrypt your Mac and its data, but it also enables you to reset your Mac password when necessary.

Before proceeding, it’s essential to activate FileVault to obtain the Recovery Key. Otherwise, you can explore other alternatives.

Assuming you have written or saved the Recovery Key from FileVault, here are the steps to reset your Mac password:

1. Prepare the Recovery Key for reference.
2. Restart your MacBook.
3. When the sign-in page appears, select the Mac account with the forgotten password.
4. Attempt to input an incorrect password three times.
5. Hover over or access the password hint and locate “Reset It Using Your Recovery Key.”
6. Input your Recovery Key.
7. Enter your new password and provide a new password hint.
8. Click Reset Password.

Now that you understand the importance of the FileVault feature, you can set it up as a precautionary measure for future needs. To activate FileVault, follow these steps:

1. At the top left corner of your Mac screen, click the Apple logo.
2. Select System Preferences…
3. Choose Security & Privacy.
4. Click the padlock icon at the bottom left of the dialog box.
5. Enter the password for the other admin account and click Unlock.
6. Click Turn On FileVault…
7. Check the box labeled “Create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud account.”
8. Click Continue.
9. When a dialog box appears with your recovery key, make sure to write or save it in a secure location that you can easily access.
10. Click Continue.
11. Restart your MacBook to apply the changes.

Conclusion

Any technique described above is an effective means of regaining access to your Mac or recovering a forgotten Mac password. However, knowing these methods may raise concerns about the possibility of someone else accessing Recovery Mode to reset your Mac account in the same manner. To address this, integrating an extra layer of security is crucial to prevent unauthorized access to your Mac.

An excellent way to enhance security on your Mac is by enabling FileVault encryption. With FileVault encryption, the content of your MacBook is encrypted, ensuring added protection. Additionally, the Password Reset Utility will remain inaccessible until you unlock it with Disk Utility. When you activate FileVault, you receive a Recovery Key and an account password. It’s important to securely store both pieces of data, as losing them could result in permanent inaccessibility to your Mac.

Are there any other methods you can recommend for resetting a Mac password? We’d love to hear your tips and suggestions in the comments below!