How to Recover a Forgotten Mac Password

Forgetting your Mac password can be frustrating, but there's no need to panic. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to recover your forgotten Mac password. Whether you have a macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, or later version, these methods should work effectively.

Method 1: Use Apple ID to Reset Password

1. Start your Mac and click on the "Forgot password" option when prompted to enter your password.
2. On the password entry screen, you will see an option to reset your password using your Apple ID. Click on it.
3. Enter your Apple ID credentials and click "Next".
4. After verification, you will be prompted to create a new password. Enter a strong, secure password and verify it.
5. Click "Reset Password" and wait for the process to complete.
6. Restart your Mac and log in using the newly set password.

Method 2: Reset Password using Recovery Mode

1. Shut down your Mac completely.
2. Press the power button to turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Command (⌘) and R keys together until the Apple logo appears. This will boot your Mac into Recovery Mode.
3. In Recovery Mode, click on "Utilities" in the menu bar and select "Terminal" to open the Terminal window.
4. In the Terminal window, type resetpassword and press Enter to launch the Reset Password utility.
5. The Reset Password utility will open, prompting you to select the volume where your user account is located. Select the appropriate volume and click "Next".
6. Choose your user account from the dropdown menu and enter a new password. Additionally, you can add a hint for your password if desired.
7. Click "Next" and then click "Restart" to reboot your Mac with the newly set password.
8. Log in using your new password.

Method 3: Use Another Admin Account

If you have multiple admin accounts on your Mac, you can use one of them to reset the password for the affected account.

1. Log in to your Mac using another admin account.
2. Open "System Preferences" from the Apple menu.
3. Click on "Users & Groups".
4. Select the user account for which you have forgotten the password.
5. Click on the "Reset Password" button below the user account list.
6. Enter a new password and verify it.
7. Optionally, you can provide a password hint.
8. Click "Change Password" to reset the password.
9. Restart your Mac and log in with the new password.

Remember to update your Keychain if you change your password, as it may still store your old password. You can do this by opening "Keychain Access" in the Utilities folder and selecting "Keychain First Aid" from the menu.

By following these methods, you should be able to recover your forgotten Mac password and regain access to your account. It's always a good idea to create a password reset disk or periodically back up your important data to prevent such situations in the future.