You need to change your Raspberry Pi password, but the next step depends on whether you still know the current one. Desktop settings and Terminal both handle a routine change, while a forgotten password requires working administrator access for a reset. Start with the method that matches your setup below. These instructions cover the local account on Raspberry Pi OS.
Change your password from the desktop
Use this route when you can access the desktop on current Raspberry Pi OS Trixie. Its desktop and Full editions include the Control Centre password dialog.
Open the Raspberry Pi menu and go to Preferences > Control Centre > System. Select Change Password. Then type your new password in Enter new password. Repeat it in Confirm new password.
Select OK and supply authentication if requested. Next, select Close. Reboot afterward, as Raspberry Pi recommends.
Older Bookworm guides refer to Raspberry Pi Configuration. Trixie uses Control Centre; the Terminal method below also works on Bookworm and Lite.
Run passwd on any edition
Open Terminal, or sign in at the Pi's local console on Raspberry Pi OS Lite. Run passwd. Enter your current account password and press Enter. Then type your new password and press Enter.
Repeat the new password and press Enter. Check for the success message confirming the change. Keep typing even when the screen stays blank: password input remains invisible.
Reset a forgotten password with administrator access
A forgotten current password blocks the normal passwd change. From an account authorized to use sudo, run sudo passwd USERNAME, replacing USERNAME with the account whose password you want to reset. Supply the administrator's authentication if requested. Enter the target account's new password when prompted.
Repeat the new password to confirm it. You do not need that account's previous password.
The catch is administrator access. An open desktop session, an SSH key, or Raspberry Pi Connect access alone does not provide the privileges this reset requires. Fresh installations from April 2026 require sudo authentication by default; updated earlier installations retain their previous setting.
Always include the account name. Running sudo passwd by itself normally targets root, and pi is not a universal username.
Use raspi-config for a menu-based change
The raspi-config menus provide another password-change route on current Raspberry Pi OS, including Lite. You need working sudo access to open them.
Run sudo raspi-config from Terminal or the local console. Authenticate if requested. Select 1 System Options. Then choose S3 Password.
Select <OK> to open the password prompts. Enter your new password. Repeat the new password when prompted. Acknowledge the result with <OK>.
Select <Finish>. Reboot afterward, as Raspberry Pi recommends. Bookworm also supports password changes through raspi-config, using the same 1 System Options > S3 Password path.
Open a browser shell with Raspberry Pi Connect
This route requires a linked Pi with remote shell access allowed and works on Bookworm or later, including Connect Lite. Sign in at connect.raspberrypi.com.
Select Devices to find your linked Pi. For that Pi, choose Connect via > Remote shell. Run passwd and complete the Terminal password prompts above: your current password, then the new one twice. If you forgot the current password, use the administrator reset above, which still requires usable sudo privileges.
Reach a headless Pi over SSH
SSH brings the same password prompts to another device. Your Pi must already have SSH enabled and a functioning network connection.
Open Terminal on the other device. Run ssh USERNAME@IP_ADDRESS, replacing USERNAME with your Pi account name and IP_ADDRESS with its address. Authenticate with your account password or an authorized SSH key. Then run passwd.
Enter your current account password. Signing in with an SSH key does not remove this requirement. Type your new password. Repeat it to confirm the change.
Check for the success message. If SSH access fails, try the Pi's local keyboard and display, or an already configured Raspberry Pi Connect remote shell.
Reinstall when you cannot regain access
Reinstalling gives you fresh credentials, but writing over existing storage erases its installation and data. In Raspberry Pi Imager, select your device. Choose the operating system for the replacement installation. Then select the destination storage, keeping the erasure warning in mind.
Open Customisation > User. Fill in Username: with the account name you want. Enter your chosen password in Password:. Repeat it in Confirm password:.
Select Next. Review the destination on Writing > Summary. Select Write. Confirm I understand, erase and write when you are ready to erase the selected storage.
Select Finish after verification completes. Boot the Pi from the newly written storage. These credentials belong to the replacement installation; Imager does not change the password on your existing running system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Admin Password setting create a separate administrator password?
No. Admin Password controls whether sudo requires authentication using your account password. It does not create a separate password or replace your existing one.
Do I need to reboot after running passwd?
Raspberry Pi recommends it. Its official instructions end the passwd method, like the Control Centre and raspi-config methods, with a reboot to apply your new password.
Does changing my Raspberry Pi ID password change my Pi's login password?
No. Raspberry Pi ID is the cloud account used for Raspberry Pi Connect. Its password is separate from your local Raspberry Pi OS account password.
Can I reset an existing password by adding userconf.txt to the boot partition?
No. userconf.txt configures initial credentials on an installation awaiting user setup. It is not a general password-reset method for an already configured account.