Forgot your password? Don’t worry because we have all been there one way or the other.

Access to accounts on different online platforms is much easier than accessing your Mac or Windows laptops. You have to answer a few security questions, follow a few links, and go to your email address, and your account will be revived.

But what can you do when you forget your password to your Mac? How do you log back in?

Entering your password incorrectly a few times will cause you to panic. But don’t worry. You will not be locked out of your system forever. There are a few password reset options for MacBooks; we discuss everything below.

Few Things to Know Before Recovering Your MacBook Air

If you have forgotten your password for an Apple device, you’re practically living in your hell. Recovering an Apple device is far more complex than recovering an Android. So take a deep breath and continue reading.

The effectiveness of the road you will take to unlock your Mac depends on how well you have used recovery modes. The ride won’t be too bumpy if you have linked your Apple ID to your user accounts or your Mac with other admin accounts.

Also, the recovery process would be even smoother if you have the newer M1 Macs.

But if you haven’t linked your Apple ID or created other solid backups, logging back into your Mac will take a while.

Different Methods to Recover MacBook Air

There are various password reset options for MacBook Pro and Air if you’re locked out. However, if none of the techniques mentioned below work, you must contact Apple Support Team.

Reset Password Through Login Window

In an ideal situation, you would have linked your Apple ID to the user account during the initial setup on MacBook. This will allow you to retrieve your Mac with just a few clicks.

However, if you have not linked your Apple ID to the user account, you must try other methods.

When you enter the wrong user account password a few times, three to be exact, a display prompt will ask if you’d like to restart your MacBook or check out different password recovery options.

Here is what you have to do,

  • Once the Mac is rebooted, it will ask you to sign in with your Apple ID.
  • Choose the user account you want to sign into and enter your Apple ID and password.
  • If your Apple ID password matches, it will ask you to enter a new password for the user account.

Enter the new password, and you will have regained access to your Mac. You can also try and sign in through your Touch ID. You enable touch ID when initially settings up your Mac. Later on, at any point in time, if you have forgotten your password, you can use it to retrieve your laptop.

Use an Admin Account to Unlock Your Mac Password

account’s password; there is a slight possibility that you can reset the Mac for them. The only caveat is that you need access to any other admin account.

The first person who sets up the Mac has an admin account by default. Here is how you can check it,

  • Click the menu bar and go to System Preferences.
  • Click Users & Groups.

It will display a list of all the user accounts on your MacBook. The account type will be mentioned below every user account.

  • Click on the Admin User Account and enter the system ID and password.
  • Now select the user you want to reset the password for.
  • Enter the new password, go back, and log in again.

This will help you reset your MacBook password easily, only if you have linked your Apple ID with the default administrator account.

Use the MACOS Recovery Mode

If you haven’t been able to reset your MacBook password using the Apple ID or the admin user account, then perhaps the Recovery Mode will be your best bet.

It will help you access the password reset tool. We have found it the easiest and most full-proof way to reset the MacBook Air and Pro password.

Before we can start the process, you should also know that this method works perfectly for MacBook Air M1. However, the recovery mode works differently on the latest MacBook featuring the M1 process and the ones using Intel processors.

Recovery mode ensures you can reset your password for your Mac as conveniently as possible. And don’t worry; you won’t lose any essential data.

For Macs with M1 Processor

  • Shut down your computer.
  • Press and hold the power button until an “Options” prompt appears on your screen.
  • The Mac OS will display a Macintosh HD button and an Options button a few minutes later. Select ‘Options.’
  • Select “Recovery.”
  • Your MacBook will go into Recovery Mode. A “Utilities” option will be on the top-left corner of your screen. Click it.
  • A command screen will show up on your screen. Select the “Terminal” option from the presented options.
  • Type the recovery key, “resetpassword,” on the black screen and wait a few seconds.
  • Press the Return Key. Once you return to the previous page, another screen pops right before the command screen.
  • Move your cursor to the X on the command screen and close the window.
  • Now you will be given the view of the reset password window for the MacBook. Follow the instructions and reset your MacBook password.
  • It will ask you to enter your Apple ID and select the user account for which you want to change the password.

Once you have followed all the instructions, restart your laptop and enter the login credentials you created. It should give you access to your Mac device.

For Macs with Intel Processor

  • Turn off the MacBook.
  • Now press the Command, R, and Power buttons all at the same time.

A progress bar will appear, and you can follow the same recovery steps mentioned before for M1 processors.

Unlock using Filevault

Another way to gain access to MacBook Pro or Air after forgetting a password is through Filevault. If you have enabled FileVault through your iCloud account, you can easily reset passwords for apple devices.

There are two ways to do it.

Use the Filevault iCloud Account

  • Restart your Apple device and click on the “Show Password Reset Options.”
  • Wait for the Mac to start.
  • Enter your Apple ID and password in the “Reset Password window.”
  • Hit the “Next” button.
  • If you have enabled two-step verification on your system, a code will be sent to your other Apple devices.
  • Select the “User Profile” you want to reset and hit “Enter.”
  • Enter your new password and hit next. Also, in this step, you can create a Password Hint and then hit next.

Once you have reset your password, restart your Mac and then use the new credentials to sign in.

Use the Filevault Recovery Key

Another way to reaccess your MacBook Pro or Air is through the FileVault recovery key.

Here is what you need to do.

  • Retrieve the recovery key from when you turned on FileVault.
  • Click “Restart and show password reset options.”
  • Enter your FileVault recovery key on the window.
  • Now, enter your new password credentials, and re-enter to verify.
  • Select your Account Profile.
  • Enter your new login credentials.

Restart your Mac, and it will save your changes.

Some FAQs About Being Locked Out of MacBook

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about forgetting your Mac password.

Can you recover Mac data if you can’t recover your password?

If none of the methods we mentioned have worked and you want to recover your hard drive, then the only option left is to opt for target disc mode.

This option will allow you to transfer all your data to another MacBook so you can recover it.

Here is what you need to do,

  • Shut down your device.
  • Using a thunderbolt cable, connect your MacBook to another Mac device.
  • Restart your Mac and enter the T key at the beginning to launch target disc mode.
  • You will see your MacBook as a hard drive on the other Mac device.

This allows you to obtain and recover all your data on your MacBook.

How to enable FileVault on Mac?

Entering your password incorrectly can unleash a lot of hassle, as you have read. To save yourself from this hassle, you must ensure you never re-enter the wrong password again and again on an Apple device, or it will be locked.

  • Also, you need to create a solid backup by enabling FileVault. Here is how you can do it.
  • Move your cursor to the Apple logo and click System Preferences.
  • Switch to the FileVault tab.
  • Click the lock icon to allow access.
  • Select the Turn on FileVault option.
  • A pop-up box will appear, select the create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud acc option. 

Your FileVault has been enabled.

How to Reset iCloud Password on Mac?

Did you forget your iCloud password? Don’t worry; you can reset it on an Apple device.

  • Go to the Apple menu bar and click System Preferences.
  • Now, click on the Apple ID option. 
  • From the left panel, select Password and Security. 
  • Click on the Change Password button. 
  • Enter your Mac password and click Allow.
  • Type your new password and re-enter to verify.
  • Press enter to apply changes.

You can also reset your iCloud password from your phone. Go to your settings and send a verification code to your email or contact number. Follow the link, and you will reset your password.

Final Verdict

So, this is everything we could gather to reset your user’s password on your MacBook. Unfortunately, if you haven’t created a solid backup, it will take time to regain access to your system.

So it is always better to be proactive about it. For example, enlist your passwords in your notes, so you never waste too much time accessing your system. Also, ensure you have linked your Apple ID to retrieve your Mac with the first reset option.

We hope this article was worth your time and attention. Thank you for reading.