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What to Do If You Forget Your Password

By Joe ·

Forgetting a password is genuinely stressful, especially if it’s an account you really need access to. But it’s almost always recoverable. Here’s how.

Almost every website and app has a password reset option. Look for:

  • “Forgot password?”, usually just below the password box on the login page
  • “Reset password” or “I can’t sign in”

Click this, enter your email address, and you’ll receive an email with a link to create a new password. Check your inbox (and your spam/junk folder if it doesn’t arrive within a few minutes).

This works for the vast majority of situations. If it works, great. Use the opportunity to set a password you’ll remember, and write it down somewhere safe.

Step 2: Check if your browser saved it

Browsers often offer to save passwords, and many people say yes without realising. Before going through a reset, check:

On Chrome:

  1. Click the three dots (top right) → Passwords (or type chrome://password-manager/passwords in the address bar)
  2. Search for the website name

On Safari (Mac or iPhone):

  1. Go to Settings → Passwords (iPhone) or Safari → Settings → Passwords (Mac)
  2. Search for the site

On Edge:

  1. Three dots → Settings → Passwords

If your password is saved here, you can view it by clicking the eye icon (you’ll need to enter your device PIN or fingerprint).

Step 3: If you can’t access the reset email

The reset email goes to the email address you used when you signed up. If you no longer have access to that email account, it gets more complicated.

Options:

  • Try the old email account, even if you don’t use it regularly, try logging in. If you’ve forgotten that password too, use the “Forgot password?” link on the email provider’s site.
  • Use a phone number instead, many accounts offer to send a text message with a reset code. Look for “Send code to my phone” or “Use my phone number instead.”
  • Account recovery form, most major services (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon) have an account recovery process for people who’ve lost access. This usually involves answering security questions or waiting for a manual review. It can take a few days.

Step 4: For Apple ID (iPhone/iPad)

Your Apple ID is the account tied to your iPhone or iPad. Forgetting it causes particular anxiety.

To reset it:

  1. On your iPhone: Settings → your name (at the top) → Sign-In & Security → Change Password
  2. Or visit iforgot.apple.com in a browser

You’ll need to verify your identity with a trusted phone number or another Apple device signed in to the same account.

If you’re locked out entirely, Apple has an account recovery process at appleid.apple.com, click “Forgot Apple ID or password.”

Step 5: For Windows login password

If you can’t get into your Windows computer at all:

If you sign in with a Microsoft account:

  • On the login screen, click “I forgot my PIN” (if using a PIN) or visit account.live.com/password/reset on another device

If you use a local account (no Microsoft account):

  • On the login screen, click “Reset password” and answer your security questions
  • On Windows 11, there may be an option to use a recovery key, if you saved one during setup

How to avoid this in future

A few habits that make forgetting passwords much less of a problem:

  1. Write passwords down in a notebook kept at home, yes, this is fine for most people. The threat of someone breaking into your house to steal passwords is much smaller than the practical problem of being locked out of your own accounts.

  2. Use a password manager, apps like Bitwarden (free) or Apple’s built-in Keychain remember passwords for you. You only need to remember one master password.

  3. Keep your recovery email and phone number up to date, when an account asks for a backup email or phone number, fill it in. It’s the fastest way back in if you ever need it.

  4. Write down the email address you used, many lockouts happen not because the password is wrong, but because someone has tried several old email addresses and can’t remember which one they signed up with.

If you’re locked out of something important, your email, your Apple ID, your bank, and can’t find a way through, get in touch. These situations are usually resolvable with a bit of patient detective work.

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