Log in to your Mac using an administrator account. If you’ve forgotten the password of an account, but are able to log in with another administrator account, you can use the following steps to reset an account password: (Administrator accounts can reset the passwords for any of the user accounts.) Reset Account Password with an Admin AccountĪn administrator account can reset any user account, including other administrator accounts. You should try logging out and back in to verify it. The password for the selected account has been changed. Enter the required information, then click or tap the Change Password button. Note: If the button is labeled Reset Password, you may be logged in with an account other than the one you whose password you wish to change, or you’ve selected the wrong user account in the preference pane sidebar.Ī sheet will drop down where you can enter the old password and new password, as well as a password hint. Make sure your user account is highlighted in the sidebar, and that the Password tab is selected in the main window. In the System Preferences window, select Users & Groups. Launch System Preferences by selecting System Preferences from the Apple menu, or clicking the System Preferences icon in the Dock.

If you’re not already logged in, start your Mac up and log into your user account. No matter the reason, here is the process: (If you know your password and just wish to update it, use the Users & Groups preference pane to make the change.) You may want to change the password for any number of reasons accidentally divulging your password, security policies that require passwords to be changed at set intervals, or maybe you just want a more secure password than the name of your pet. Let’s start with the easiest of all the tasks we will cover: changing your current password when you know the password, and can successfully log into your account. If you see a warning about the keychain, you can find information about resetting it near the end of this guide. When you reset a user account password, the user’s keychain may also need to be reset. The process for resetting an account password is dependent on the version of the Mac OS you’re using, as well as if you’ve enabled optional services, such as File Vault, or the ability to use your iCloud password to reset the user account.īefore we get started, a note about a user’s keychain: The keychain stores frequently used passwords and other login credentials used by the user account.

In this Rocket Yard guide, we’re going to look at the various ways you can change a password, as well as reset an account password, should you ever forget it. That’s why if you should ever forget the account password, you may be in real trouble stuck without access to your data.

Your Mac’s user account password gives you access to all of your user data as well as many services included with the Mac OS.

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