iPhone and Mac users have to enter Apple ID details so frequently – when buying an app or iTunes music, accessing iCloud email or other services, updating an OS – that you wouldn’t think we’d forget our passwords. But we do. Show
Maybe you got confused when Apple made you change to a new password; maybe you picked one that was just too complicated to remember. (Here’s how to choose a good strong password.) Whatever the reason, forgetting the password to your Apple ID account can be a serious pain, so we’re going to explain how to reset it. Another reason you might not have the password is if you have bought an iPhone, iPad, or other Apple device second hand and then found that the password and Apple ID haven’t been disassociated from the device. This can cause all sorts of problems when you are setting the device up. In this case you need to ask the previous owner to remove the device from their Apple iCloud account which they can do by using the Find My app, or going to icloud.com/find logging in and removing the old device (Find the iPhone, select Erase iPhone, then select Remove from Account.) A couple of things before we get started. Your password might not be working because it’s been locked by Apple for security reasons – perhaps because an attempt has been made to hack it. Should this happen to you, try this tutorial: How to unlock a disabled Apple ID. But the good news is that over the years Apple has simplified this process and, as long as you have set up two factor authentication, changing your Apple ID password should be very simple. How to reset an Apple ID passwordAssuming you can’t just think really hard until you remember what the password is, your best bet is to reset it. Here’s how to do that. The steps below will depend on the type of security you set up for your Apple account. Assuming you have two-factor authentication set up (rather than two-step verification) the process outlined in the steps below should work. Otherwise, you may have to answer some security questions and provide a 14-character Recovery Key (which we discuss below).
We look at the different ways you can reset your password and access the account in more detail below. Use a Recovery ContactIf you inherited the device from an elderly relative, for example, you may be wondering how to disassociate their Apple ID from the device. Apple is aware of this scenario and has set up a new method by which trusted people can recover Apple ID passwords – but it does need to have been set up in advance. Apple cannot recover or reset the password in these circumstances – it can’t recover or reset passwords in any circumstances – but you can recover someone else’s Apple ID if you are their Recovery Contact. A Recovery Contact can get a one-time recovery code that can be used to unlock the account. It’s a good idea to have more than one trusted Recovery Contact. To set up Recovery Contacts you need to do the following – unfortunately this needs to happen before the password is forgotten! All the devices will need to be running iOS 15, iPad OS 15, or macOS Monterey. If you have older devices running older versions of the operating systems you need to remove them from Settings > Apple ID. Click on any device in the list and you’ll be able to see what version of iOS it is running. If the device is old Choose Remove from Account. You can remove old devices that you no longer use here!
You can also run through these steps on a Mac:
Add a Legacy ContactWhile you are setting this up, you should also add a Legacy Contact, which will be someone who can recover your account and access your data if you die. Your Legacy Contact will just need a copy of your death certificate to get access to your account.
Answer security questionsWhen setting up a new iPad, iPhone or Mac, or when creating an Apple ID, you may have been asked to enter answers to some security questions: the name of the road where you grew up, perhaps, or the name of a favourite teacher. If you choose to answer your security questions these are the steps you will need to go through:
What if you forget the answers to your security questions?Remember that it’s not just the answers, but also the way you wrote them: watch out for misspellings or shortenings (Avenue becoming Ave, for instance). It has to be exactly the same as the way you answered during setup. It’s possible to change the questions and/or answers by going to appleid.apple.com, but you’ll need to log in with your Apple ID and password. So that may not be useful for those of you reading this article. Still, even if you’ve forgotten the answers to your security questions you should still be able to request that the link to change the password for your Apple ID is sent to the alternative email you registered to the account. Send a password reset emailRather than answering the security questions you can choose instead to have a password reset email sent to you. This will be sent to a second email address you have associated with your Apple ID – perhaps a work email. Before you select this option, make sure you have access to that email account. Luckily you’ll get a hint as to which one Apple is using, because you’ll be shown part of the address.
Two-factor authenticationTwo-factor authentication is an form of security that Apple has been pushing since the rollout of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra back in 2016. (Here’s how to set up two-factor authentication.) Essentially, if you’ve set up two-factor authentication, as well as entering your password you will be required to enter a code Apple sends to your iPhone or Mac. If you’ve set up two-factor authentication and you want to change your password, you’ll still need to go to appleid.apple.com and click ‘Forgot Apple ID or password?’
Two-step verificationTwo-step verification is an older security system that Apple introduced a few years ago after there was a lot of negative publicity about iCloud security. (Celebrities were having their accounts hacked and intimate personal photos were leaking online.) Apple users who were concerned about security at the time may have two-step verification set up for their Apple ID. If this applies to you, you would have been sent a 14-character Recovery Key that Apple advised you to print and keep in a safe place. If you’re using two-step verification (and this may be the best you can do, because older devices don’t support two-factor authentication), every time you want to sign into iCloud you need to enter your Apple ID and password as well as a verification code that will be sent to one of your devices. If you don’t have both a verification code and password you will be locked out of your account, and should this happen you have to use your 14-character Recovery Key to gain access again. With two-step verification, password recovery depends on whether you know the Recovery Key. If you don’t, you won’t be able to recover your account. Even Apple is unable to reset your password if you don’t have this Recovery Key… so don’t lose it! If you have this form of security and don’t know where your Recovery Key is, you can get a new one by going to your Apple ID account, signing in with your password and email address and choosing Replace Lost Key. What if you forget your email address?Along with your password you will need to enter your Apple ID, which is usually an email address you associate with the account. Perhaps it’s less likely to happen, but if you don’t often sign in for Apple services and products, you might forget which email address is tied to your Apple ID. Luckily, there’s a quick way to find out which address you need. You just need to find a device that is already signed into your Apple ID. On an iPad or iPhone
On a Mac or PC
OnlineIf you fail to find your Apple ID after trying those methods, you will need to visit the Apple ID page online at appleid.apple.com. Below the boxes for Apple ID and Password, click ‘Forgot Apple ID or password?’ Enter your first name, last name and email address. If you enter the wrong email address, you can try again with a different one until the email address is recognised. It doesn’t seem to be completely foolproof, however: we entered the email address we know is associated with our Apple ID and we were greeted with the No Apple ID Found message. Hopefully you’ll have more luck than we did. Once you’ve changed your Apple ID password you will need to update it in the iCloud settings in any Apple devices you have. Here’s what to do if you need to change the admin password on a Mac. Author: Karen Haslam, EditorMacworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld almost two decades ago. Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple. How do I find out what my iCloud password is?If you forgot your Apple ID password. Go to Settings.. Tap your name > Password & Security > Change Password.. Follow the onscreen instructions to reset your password.. Is my iCloud and Apple ID password the same?Apple ID password is the same thing as the iCloud password. The following two links should help you. See this first -- What to do after you change your Apple ID email address or password - Apple Support. Apple ID password is the same thing as the iCloud password.
How can I get my iCloud password if I lost my phone?Resetting your Apple ID password without an Apple device. Open the Apple Support app. ... . Select Passwords & Security.. Select Reset Apple ID Password.. Select Get Started.. Select A different Apple ID.. Enter your Apple ID and follow the onscreen prompts.. Once your password is reset, make sure to log out.. |