If you forgot your password and can’t sign in to your Apple Account

Can't sign in to your Apple Account? The easiest way to reset your password is with a trusted device and your trusted phone number.

Choose "Forgot Password?" and follow the onscreen instructions

Whether you're setting up a new device, signing in to your Apple Account in the Settings app, or making a purchase in the App Store, look for "Forgot password?" or "Forgot password or don’t have an Apple Account?"

Then follow the onscreen instructions — they'll direct you to a trusted device, ask for recovery factors (such as a two-factor verification code sent to your trusted phone number), or help you regain access after a waiting period.

Before you try to regain access to your Apple Account

• If you will have access to a trusted device or trusted phone number soon: you should wait to regain access until you have your device or number. If you wait, you’ll be able to regain access to your account more quickly.

• If you think you know your password but can’t remember the email address or phone number for your Apple Account: try different email addresses or phone numbers that might be associated with your account. Any email address or phone number associated with your Apple Account will work to sign in.

Change your Apple Account password on a trusted device

For example, you’re trying to sign in on a new iPad but can't remember your password — and you’re already signed in on your iPhone

If you have a trusted device (one that you're signed in to already with your Apple Account), you might not need to go through account recovery. Since you're already signed in on that device, you should try to change your password to something you know.

• Change your password on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple Vision Pro

• Change your password on Mac

Ways to reset your password and regain access to your Apple Account without a trusted device

For example, you have a new iPhone with the same phone number that you’ve set up to receive verification codes from Apple.

If you don’t have a trusted device, your options to reset your Apple Account password depend on what recovery factors you have.

Find your recovery factors

If you’re not signed in to a trusted Apple device, you might still be able to reset your password — but you’ll need to verify your identity. You might be asked for recovery factors such as:

• Your trusted phone number — This is a phone number that you’ve set up to receive two-factor authentication verification codes from Apple.

• A code from your recovery contact — If you set up a recovery contact, reach out to make sure that your recovery contact is ready to provide the 6-digit code or to help regain access in person.

• Your Apple Account email address — Make sure that you can access the email address associated with your Apple Account.

• The credit card associated with your Apple Account — You might be asked to confirm the CVV of the credit card associated with your Apple Account. If the verification is declined by the card issuer, you get an alert that says the information you entered is incorrect (even if you correctly entered the CVV). If this happens, select "Don't have access to this card."

• A recovery key or Security Keys for Apple Account — If you set up one of these optional security features, the process to regain access to your account is different. Learn how to regain access using your recovery key or your physical security key.

When you try to reset your password, you might be asked for these recovery factors — so have them ready.

If you can't reset your password, request account recovery

For example, you traded in your old iPhone and don't have another trusted device, and you’ve already started using a new phone number.

If you don’t have a trusted device to change your passwords and can’t provide recovery factors to reset your password, you can request account recovery for Apple to help you regain access. For your security, this process could take a while — several days or more.

Where to start account recovery

• Safari — Using a device with iOS 17 or later or macOS 27 or later, go to iforgot.apple.com using Safari and follow the instructions. When possible, the website redirects you to a trusted device to change your password.

• The Support App — You can use the Support App on a borrowed device or a device at the Apple Store. Open the Support app, scroll to Support Tools, select Reset Password, and then select “Help Someone Else.” The information that you enter won’t be stored on the borrowed device.

Find the Support App in the App Store

After you start account recovery

• If you started account recovery on a device with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or macOS 27 or later, you can continue to use the device that you used to start account recovery. If you started account recovery on the web, turn off all your Apple devices during the account recovery wait.

• If you remember your password, you can sign in to your device. This will cancel your account recovery request.

• If you find a device that you’re signed in to with your Apple Account — like an old iPad that you’d forgotten about — use it to change your account password. This will cancel your account recovery request.

• If you can’t use that device (for example, you don’t remember the passcode), turn it off. Activity from a signed-in device will cancel your request.

During account recovery

Learn more about what to expect during account recovery