You enter your MacBook login password, and the sign-in screen refuses to let you in. Apple provides several reset options, starting right at that screen and continuing through macOS Recovery. The route available to you depends on your Mac's Apple Account and FileVault settings.
Start with the login-window reset options
Click the ? beside the password field. If there is no question mark, try entering a password three times to bring up the reset options. Select Reset Password or Restart and show password reset options, whichever your Mac displays. Authenticate using the offered Apple Account or FileVault recovery-key option.
Select the account whose password you need to reset. Create a new password by following the prompts. Restart your MacBook. Use the type of key your Mac requests: a FileVault recovery key is different from an Apple Account recovery key.
Recover your Apple Account password if it blocks the reset
A forgotten Apple Account password stops the Mac login reset when the recovery flow requires that account. On a trusted iPhone or iPad, open Settings > your name > Sign-In & Security > Change Password. Authenticate with the device passcode. Complete the prompts to change your Apple Account password.
To use another accessible Mac instead, open System Settings > your name > Sign-In & Security > Change Password. Authenticate there to complete the password change.
For the borrowed-device route, you need a compatible Apple device and access to your trusted phone number. Open the Apple Support app on that device. Choose Support Tools > Reset Password > Help Someone Else. Enter your Apple Account email address or phone number.
Select Continue. Complete the verification prompts. For browser-based account recovery, visit iforgot.apple.com. Complete the account-recovery instructions, continuing on a trusted device if Apple directs you there.
Return to the Mac's password-reset process once you have restored account access. Changing your Apple Account password does not itself reset your MacBook login password.
Use another administrator account when you have one
An accessible administrator account on the same Mac gives you another way to reset the affected user's password. Use this route when you can sign in to that administrator account.
Log in to the other administrator account. Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups. Click the Info button beside the user who cannot sign in.
Choose Reset. Complete the password dialog to set the user's new password.
Find your FileVault recovery key on another device
If the locked MacBook runs macOS Tahoe 26 or later, including macOS 27, check Passwords on another device. The key is available there only if it has synchronized through iCloud Passwords & Keychain using the same Apple Account.
Open Passwords on an accessible Mac signed in to that Apple Account. Select All. Select the locked Mac's name. Hover over the key to reveal it.
Click the key to copy it. A synchronized key is also accessible through Passwords on an associated iPhone or iPad. Enter the key when the locked Mac's recovery flow requests it. If you cannot retrieve the key, try macOS Recovery next and use Apple Account authentication when the recovery flow offers it.
Move to macOS Recovery if login-window recovery fails
Shut down your MacBook. On an Apple silicon MacBook, hold the power button until Loading startup options or the gear appears. On models with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is also the power button. Release the power button.
Choose Options. Click Continue. For an Intel MacBook, start from shutdown instead: press and release the power button. Immediately hold Command-R on the built-in keyboard until the Apple logo or spinning globe appears.
Connect to a network if Recovery requests it. On either type of MacBook, select the startup volume if prompted. At the user-selection screen, select Forgot all passwords? Authenticate with the previously associated Apple Account or FileVault recovery key requested by Recovery.
Complete the password-reset prompts. If local Recovery will not start on a compatible Intel MacBook, use Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R at startup for Internet Recovery, which requires an internet connection and affects the macOS version offered for reinstallation.
Open the password-reset assistant in Terminal
When Recovery has not reset the password, click Exit to Recovery if you see that option, then open the password-reset assistant through Utilities > Terminal. Run resetpassword by typing it and pressing Return. This opens the assistant.
Select I forgot my password or My password doesn't work when logging in, whichever your Mac displays. Click Next. Complete the authentication and password-creation prompts.
Erase the Mac only when recovery cannot restore access
Erasing lets you set up the Mac again, but deletes all existing local accounts and data. Start macOS Recovery using the instructions above. At the user-selection screen, choose Recovery Assistant > Erase Mac. Confirm the erase when prompted.
Confirm it a second time. Your MacBook restarts automatically once the erase finishes. If it starts up to a question mark, turn it off, then start macOS Recovery again using the instructions above. If it starts up to an Activate Mac window, choose a Wi-Fi network or attach a network cable when asked, then enter your Apple Account information, not your login name or password.
Click Exit to Recovery once the Mac activates. Select the macOS installation option in Recovery. Click Continue. Choose Macintosh HD if the installer offers both the system and Data volumes.
Finish the macOS installation. Complete Setup Assistant to establish a user account and password.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my old login keychain inaccessible after a password reset?
The login password and keychain password can become different after a reset. Without the previous password, the old keychain's contents remain inaccessible. If Apple Support advises a manual reset, open Keychain Access > Settings > Reset Default Keychains. This deletes saved keychain passwords. Then choose Apple menu > Log Out and sign in again.
Can I reinstall macOS without erasing to reset the password?
Apple does not provide reinstallation without erasing as a login-password reset method. Ordinary password recovery also does not require downloading a macOS installer.
What should I do if my MacBook belongs to work or school?
Contact the organization managing it. Its administrator can retrieve a personal FileVault recovery key if the organization previously retained one through its device-management service, and assist with Recovery.
How can I prepare for another forgotten password?
While signed in, open Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups. Click Info beside your user. Enable Allow user to reset password using Apple Account. Your user account must already have iCloud configured. This option is unavailable when FileVault already provides Apple Account password recovery at startup.