Change your Apple password through Settings on any device

The fastest way to change your Apple password depends on what device you have in front of you. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Password & Security, then Change Password. On a Mac, open System Settings, click your name in the sidebar, then Password & Security, then Change Password. On any computer with a web browser, visit appleid.apple.com, sign in, go to Password & Security, and select Change Password.

You will need to enter your current password first, then type your new password twice to confirm it matches. Apple will ask you to create a password at least 8 characters long with uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and a special character like ! or @. After you change your password, you will be signed out of your account on all devices and will need to sign back in with the new password.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Apple password from Settings on iPhone or Mac, or from appleid.apple.com on any computer.
  • Your new password must be at least 8 characters and include uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and a special character.
  • After you change your password, you will be signed out everywhere and must sign back in on each device.
  • If you forget your new password when ready after changing it, you can reset it using your recovery key or trusted phone number.
  • Changing your password does not affect your iCloud data, photos, or email — those stay the same.

What happens on your devices after you change your password

When you change your Apple password, Apple signs you out of your account on every device that uses it. This includes your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and any other device where you are signed in. You will see a notification on each device asking you to sign back in with your new password.

This sign-out process can take a few minutes to reach all your devices. If you have a device that is turned off or not connected to the internet, it will ask you to sign in the next time you use it. You do not lose any data — your photos, email, documents, and settings all stay in your iCloud account and will sync back once you sign in again.

Change your password from a computer if you cannot access your phone

If your iPhone is lost, broken, or you straightforward do not have it with you, you can still change your password by visiting appleid.apple.com on any computer. Click Sign In at the top right, enter your Apple ID email address and current password, then navigate to Password & Security and select Change Password. You will go through the same process as on a device — enter your current password, then type your new password twice.

This method works even if you are not signed into that computer with your Apple account. You only need a web browser and your current password. If you cannot remember your current password, you will need to reset it instead, which requires access to your recovery key or a trusted phone number.

Use a strong password that you can actually remember

Apple requires your password to have uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and a special character, but the actual words or numbers you choose are up to you. A strong password does not have to be random gibberish — it can be a phrase you will remember. For example, "MyDog!Ate7Socks" is stronger than "Password123!" because it is longer and less predictable, even though both meet Apple's requirements.

Write your new password down in a physical notebook or in a password manager like 1Password or Bitwarden before you change it. This takes 30 seconds and saves you from being locked out if you mistype it during the change process. Do not text it to yourself or email it to yourself — those methods leave a record that someone could find.

What to do if you forget your new password right after changing it

If you change your password and when ready realize you cannot remember it, do not panic. Go to appleid.apple.com and click Forgot Password. Apple will ask you to verify your identity using either your recovery key (a 28-character code Apple gave you when you set up two-factor authentication) or a trusted phone number (a number you registered with your account).

If you have neither your recovery key nor access to a trusted phone number, you will need to contact Apple Support. They can verify your identity through other methods like your purchase history or the answers to security questions you set up. This process takes longer than using a recovery key, so keeping your recovery key in a safe place is worth the effort.

Change your password if you think someone else knows it

If you suspect someone has your password — because you used it on a website that got hacked, or you shared it with someone who no longer has permission — change it when ready. Go to Password & Security in Settings or on appleid.apple.com and follow the same steps as a normal password change. You do not need to do anything else; changing your password locks out anyone who had the old one.

After you change your password, check the Devices section of your Apple ID to see what is signed in. If you see a device you do not recognize, click it and select Remove from Account. This signs that device out of your account and prevents it from accessing your email, photos, or other iCloud data.

Your password is different from your Apple ID email address

Your Apple ID is the email address you use to sign in — this does not change when you change your password. If you want to change the email address itself, that is a separate process in Password & Security called Change Apple ID. For most people, changing the password is what they need, not changing the email address.

Some older Apple accounts use a username instead of an email address. If you have one of these accounts, you can still change your password the same way, but you may want to convert it to an email address first so you do not have to remember a username. Apple can walk you through this in the Password & Security section of your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my password delete my photos or email?

No. Your password protects access to your account, but changing it does not touch any of your data. Your photos, email, documents, and settings all stay in iCloud and will sync to your devices once you sign back in with the new password.

How long does it take for the password change to work on all my devices?

Apple usually signs you out within a few minutes, but it can take up to 15 minutes to reach all your devices. If you have a device that is off or offline, it will ask you to sign in the next time you turn it on or connect to the internet.

Can I change my password if I do not have my recovery key?

Yes. You can change your password using a trusted phone number instead of a recovery key. If you do not have either one and forget your password, you will need to contact Apple Support to verify your identity through other methods.

What if I change my password and then forget it when ready?

Go to appleid.apple.com, click Forgot Password, and use your recovery key or trusted phone number to reset it. If you have neither, Apple Support can help you verify your identity and reset it, though this takes longer.

Do I need to change my password on each device separately?

No. Change it once in Settings or on appleid.apple.com, and Apple will sign you out everywhere. You then sign back in on each device with the new password, but you only change it once.