“Supplied iCloud account was unable to unlock this volume” leaves you stuck even when your Apple Account works on another device. Signing in to that account alone doesn't unlock this encrypted disk. Start with your Mac password, then work through the recovery options below before considering an erase.
Check your Mac login password first
This fixes login failures caused by the wrong password or keyboard input. At the login window, enter your local Mac login password. Your Apple Account password is a separate credential.
Check the Caps Lock key before trying again, then check the Input menu to confirm that the keyboard layout matches what you're typing. Wait until any displayed lockout timer expires. Restart the Mac after the timer expires.
If normal restarting is unavailable, hold the power or Touch ID button for up to 10 seconds. Release the button, then press it again to turn on the Mac.
Use the login reset option if you forgot your password
Start here if Apple Account password recovery was configured for your Mac. The reset prompts depend on that configuration.
Enter your login password up to three times, then follow whichever prompt appears. If a question mark is shown beside the password field, click it. Select the offered password-reset message.
If neither a question mark nor a reset message appears, restart the Mac and try again. If that doesn't help, use the reset options in macOS Recovery below.
Enter the credentials for the Apple Account associated with the Mac. Complete the requested verification. Set a replacement Mac login password when prompted.
If the same error returns, try your FileVault recovery key next. Changing an already-working Apple Account password is not an Apple-documented repair for this error.
Unlock with your FileVault recovery key
A personal FileVault recovery key belongs to the Mac's encrypted volume. An Apple Account recovery key is a different credential and isn't a substitute.
If the locked Mac runs macOS Tahoe 26 or later and its key was saved and synchronized, open Passwords on another device using the same Apple Account. Search for recovery key. Select the Mac's entry to reveal its Recovery Key.
On Apple silicon with macOS 12.0.1 or later, press Option-Shift-Return at the startup login screen. Enter the personal FileVault recovery key. Press Return.
On Intel, select the offered recovery-key reset option at the login window. Alternatively, enter the key when Recovery Assistant requests it.
Restore Apple Account access if you forgot that password
A forgotten Apple Account password blocks recovery steps that require those credentials. On a trusted iPhone or iPad, open Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Change Password. Authenticate with that device's credentials. Complete the password reset.
On a trusted Mac you can already access, open System Settings > [your name] > Sign-In & Security > Change Password instead. Authenticate locally. Complete the password reset.
Without a usable trusted device, open Apple's account-recovery website. Complete the account-recovery process, including any direction to use a trusted device.
After regaining access, retry the Mac's Apple Account recovery prompt. Restoring account access does not guarantee access to the encrypted volume.
Try password recovery in macOS Recovery
Recovery offers another password-reset route using an accepted Apple Account or FileVault recovery key. It still requires authentication.
For an Apple silicon Mac, shut down the Mac, then hold the power button until startup options appear. Release the button, select Options, and click Continue. Select the startup volume if requested.
For an Intel Mac, turn it on while holding Command-R until the Apple logo or a globe appears. If local Recovery fails on Intel, retry startup with Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R. Internet Recovery availability and the macOS version offered depend on the model and shortcut.
If the shortcut isn't working, use the built-in keyboard or a wired keyboard. For a Recovery connection failure, select a network from the Wi-Fi menu. If needed, connect Ethernet instead. These steps address connectivity; changing networks is not an Apple-documented fix for the iCloud-volume error itself.
At Recovery's password prompt, select Forgot all passwords?. Enter the requested Apple Account credentials or FileVault recovery key. Complete the recovery prompts. Restart when recovery finishes.
If that route fails and Recovery's utilities are accessible, open Utilities > Terminal. Run resetpassword by typing it and pressing Return. Select I forgot my password. Click Next.
Complete the requested authentication. Set the replacement password. The command does not bypass FileVault.
If Recovery rejects your credentials, try an administrator account that already has access to the Mac. For a work or school Mac, contact the organization before considering erasure.
Ask another administrator to reset your password
This route applies when another administrator can already access the Mac. Administrator status alone does not unlock a FileVault-protected disk.
Log in using that administrator account, then open Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups. Click the information button beside the affected user and select Reset. Complete the password-reset dialog.
For a work or school Mac, ask your administrator to retrieve its personal FileVault recovery key from device management and provide the approved recovery procedure. This works only if the organization retained the key.
Erase only after credential recovery fails
Without an accepted password or recovery key, FileVault keeps the encrypted data inaccessible.
Erasing restores use of the Mac but destroys its local data, including files missing from your backup. Proceed only when you accept that loss. Reinstalling macOS without erasing does not remove FileVault authentication.
On a Mac offering this erase workflow, return to Recovery's user-selection screen. Choose Recovery Assistant > Erase Mac. Confirm the erase, then confirm it a second time. Complete reactivation if requested.
Back in Recovery, select Reinstall macOS [version]. Click Continue. Choose Macintosh HD if both Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD - Data appear. Complete the installation.
To restore backed-up files, connect your accessible Time Machine backup after installation. Open Applications > Utilities > Migration Assistant. Migration is also available during the Mac's initial setup.
Select From a Mac, Time Machine, or startup disk, then click Continue. Choose the backup and select the backup date.
Choose the data to transfer. Use Set Password for a transferred administrator account. Migration restores backed-up data; it does not decrypt the original inaccessible volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the old Command-S password-reset trick still work?
No. Apple disabled Command-S single-user startup in macOS Mojave and later. Old password-reset recipes using that shortcut do not apply to current macOS.
How do I preserve my FileVault recovery key after regaining access?
From an authenticated session, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault to view and preserve the recovery key.
How do I let another user unlock FileVault in the future?
From an accessible administrator session, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault. If Enable Users appears, select it. Choose the user. Enter that user's password. Select OK, then Continue. This requires existing access to the Mac.
Can I turn off FileVault after recovering access?
Yes. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault. Switch FileVault off. Select Turn Off Encryption. This removes FileVault's additional protection; internal storage on Apple silicon and T2 Macs remains hardware-encrypted.