Forgot my Mac password
How do I get in to my MacBook Air if I forgot the password?
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.0
Question marked as
Top-ranking reply
Hi callen272,
Try these steps to reset your password:
- Start up in macOS Recovery.
- If you're prompted for an administrator password, select "Forgot all passwords?". If prompted, authenticate with your Apple ID to continue.
- Go to the menu bar at the top of the screen, and select Utilities -> Terminal.
- Type "resetpassword" without the quotes and hit Enter (Return).
- If FileVault is disabled, you should be able to reset your password without issue.
If FileVault is enabled, you'll see the below screen instead:
If you see this screen, choose "I forgot my password" and follow the onscreen instructions. You might be able to reset your password and recover your data if you stored your recovery key in iCloud.
NOTE: If you weren't prompted for an admin password when you entered macOS Recovery, you can prevent others from abusing this by doing any of the following:
- Turn on FileVault. This scrambles the data on your internal drive so that your password is required to unscramble the data.
- MacBook Air (2018 or later): Turn on Find My Mac. This enables Activation Lock on your Mac, which prevents thieves from reactivating your Mac as their own.