.

As it isn’t required for the majority of base features, it’s not uncommon to lose track of it.

In this article, we’ll help you find the administrator password on a Mac and provide ways to both recover or reset it, if necessary.

Finding the Admin Password

Unlike most computer accounts, Mac doesn’t have a default admin password.

Most of the time, users already have admin accounts without realizing it. To fix it, move to our next part.

How to recover or reset your Mac administrator password if you forgot it?

"My administrator name and password on my Mac are not working."

"I forgot my administrator password for my Mac."

"I forgot my administrator name and password so I can't open the System Preferences to reset it."

If you encounter the scenarios mentioned above, follow these ways to try to recover or reset your admin password on your Mac.

⓵ Passwords are case-sensitive.

See if this helps you remember your password.

Try logging in with the password box left blank.

How to Reset or Bypass the Administrator Password on Mac

Forgetting your Administrator password on your Mac can be a frustrating experience, but fear not, there are a few ways to regain access to your device.

Just use your password to deal with the tasks requiring admin privilege.

If you forgot your Mac admin password, you have to reset it.

Any user that has Admin under their name is an Administrator account.

As an admin, both your login name and password can be entered when you’re required to use an Admin password.

Recovering Lost Passwords

There are a few ways to get a password back, depending on which password you lost and whether you have third-party password managers.

Using Apple ID to Reset Your Password

In case your default Mac login is an Admin account and you’ve forgotten your login password, you can recover it by using Apple ID.

This can be done by following these steps:

1. On the Mac login page, entering a password incorrectly three times will open a reset prompt. The admin name and password are entered during the initial setup. If FileVault is on, you can use the assistant by doing the following:
   1. On the login page wait until you see a message that says you can use the Mac power button to restart in Recovery Mode.
      
   2. Once the message shows up hold down the power button until your computer turns off.

      If you fail to log in to your Mac with the admin password you type in, check if you've mistakenly typed the uppercase or lowercase characters.

      ⓶ Continue entering the wrong password until triggering the Password Hint window (if you've set it). If it still fails, reset your admin password with your Apple ID.

      ⓷ If you haven't set a password hint, you have to find or reset the admin password on your Mac with Terminal.

      We'll help you find, recover, or reset your Mac's administrator name and password.

      How to find the administrator's name and password on Mac?

      The admin name and password, in other words, the admin account, is the macOS user account that has the admin privileges. To confirm if the account you’re using has admin privileges do the following:

      1. Click on System Privileges on your dock, or click on the Apple menu and choose System Preferences from the dropdown list.
         
      2. Find and click on the Users & Groups icon.
         
      3. Find your current username from the list on the left.

         This requires you to enter macOS Recovery Mode.

         1. Enter macOS Recovery Mode. If you set up your Mac, it's also just the account that you often use to log in to your Mac.

            If you forget the admin name or the Mac is not yours but a shared one, how to find the administrator name and password on the Mac?

            Press the power button again to turn it on.

         2. The Reset Password window should appear with instructions on how to change the current password. This is done by following these steps:
            1. On the login screen, enter an incorrect password three times until you see a message that indicates that you can use the Recovery Key.
               
            2. Click on the Play icon beside the message.
               
            3. The password text box will turn into the Recovery Key text box, enter your Recovery Key.

               Remember to enter upper case letters and include hyphens during entry.
               

            4. Follow the instructions shown, then click on Reset Password when you’re done.
               
            5. Restart your computer and log in using your new password.

            Contact Apple Support

            If none of the above methods work for you, the next step is to contact Apple Support and see if they can reset your passwords remotely.

            Here are the steps:

            1. Click the Apple icon > System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs).
            2. Select Users & Groups.
               
            3. On the right panel, you'll see the administrator's name.
               The administrator password is invisible in System Settings due to security and privacy protection reasons.

            If your account name is labeled "Admin", you are the administrator for this machine.

            If you’ve forgotten your Apple ID too, click on the Forgot Apple ID and Password link below and this will send you to the Apple Password Recovery page.
            

         3. Click on Next.
         4. If two-step verification is enabled, you’ll be prompted to enter the security code. If you cannot correctly identify your password, proceed to step 2.
            
         5. A window should pop up prompting you to restart and show password reset options.