Can't turn off / change firmware password

ebsyli wrote:

I finally managed to solve my issue!

I'll leave a comment here to help anyone who might get stuck in the future.

As I mentioned, I knew the password since I was able to unlock recovery mode.

As you can see in the screenshots, I'm using a French MacBook Pro with an AZERTY keyboard. The thing is, on the lock screen, the keyboard is implicitly set to US/QWERTY, and once logged into recovery mode, it is silently switched back to FR/AZERTY. I just needed to set my keyboard layout to US (top right corner) when entering the old password in order to delete it.

Good computing ebsyli ! Appreciate the feedback and resolve here

ebsyli wrote:

I have an old 15-inch MacBook Pro (2015) that I want to give away. I followed the procedure to erase the data and reinstall macOS.

When I entered recovery mode, I was asked for the firmware password.

I know the password, so I was able to continue and complete the reinstall.

However, I also want to disable the firmware password before giving it away. In recovery mode, when I try to turn it off or change it, nothing happens after I enter my old password — it seems like it isn’t recognized at this step.

I found someone with the same issue, but there was no solution provided.

You can try from the Terminal.app...

you do not disable the firmware password— you delete it. ie no Firmware password set.

check for Firmware password set..(?)

sudo firmwarepasswd -check

sudo firmwarepasswd -verify

allows you to verify you have the correct password (without rebooting).

sudo firmwarepasswd -delete

deletes the firmware password. You'll need the current one to delete it, of course.

Or if you prefer not to use the Terminal, you can configure the firmware password lock (including turning it off) from Recovery Mode using only the GUI interface:

Set a firmware password on your Mac - Apple Support

The firmware lock password may not be the same as any login password.

Plus the authentication for the firmware lock password is verified through the information stored by system firmware, not macOS itself.

If you do not remember the firmware lock password, then the only option would be to take the Mac to an Apple Store or AASP along with acceptable proof of purchase (usually the original receipt with your name & address) along with acceptable ID to confirm your identity so Apple can remove the firmware password lock for you.