How to Change Your Mac Login Password

What you need: A Mac with macOS Sonoma 14 or later, the password you type now to unlock this Mac, and the new password you want to use instead.

Before you begin: Choose a new password you will remember. After these steps, this Mac asks for the new password instead of the old one.

Steps

1. Click the Apple menu (the Apple logo) in the upper-left corner of the screen, then click System Settings.
2. Click Users & Groups on the left. If you do not see it, move the pointer over the list on the left and scroll down.
3. On the right, find your name and click the Info button beside it (a small letter i in a circle). A window with your account details opens.
4. Click Change… beside Password. The Change Password window opens.
5. Click the Old Password box and type the password you use now to unlock this Mac. The characters appear as dots, which is normal.
6. Click the New Password box and type your new password. Capital and lowercase letters count, so type each letter the way you want to type it every time.
7. Click the Verify box and type the new password again, exactly the same way.
8. The last box is for a password hint: a few words that remind you of the password. Anyone at this Mac's sign-in screen may be able to see the hint, so never type the password itself there, and choose words that would not help someone else guess it. You can also leave the box empty.
9. Click Change Password. If the Change Password window stays open instead, click Cancel, click Change… beside Password again, and repeat steps 5 to 8 in the empty boxes. Then click Change Password.
10. The Change Password window closes. Click OK in the window with your account details.
11. Click the Apple menu, then click Lock Screen. The sign-in screen appears.
12. Type your new password in the password box, then press the Return key. If the box clears and you stay on the same screen, look for a Caps Lock symbol (a small upward arrow) in the box. If you see it, press the Caps Lock key once to turn it off. Then click the box and type your new password again slowly, exactly as you typed it in steps 6 and 7.

Expected result: The Mac opens to the desktop after you type your new password. From now on, use the new password to unlock this Mac.