Whether your password is being rejected with a shake, you're stuck in an endless login loop, or you can't get past a FileVault unlock screen — this article covers cases where the login screen appears but authentication fails. Note that this is a separate problem from a completely dark display. If your Mac shows no Apple logo at startup or the screen goes black before the login screen appears, see How to Fix a Black Screen on Mac | Sleep Wake-Up, Boot Failure, and Post-Login Cases instead. This article targets macOS Sonoma and Sequoia on both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel Macs, covering password authentication failures, login loops, Apple ID errors, FileVault password problems, Touch ID issues, and MDM authentication errors on managed business Macs. See also the Mac Troubleshooting Guide | Fixes Organized by Symptom and work through the steps below in order.
Table of Contents
- Login Failure vs. Black Screen — Two Different Problems
- Identify Your Symptom First
- Basic Password Input Checks
- What to Do If You've Forgotten Your Password
- Fixing a Login Loop
- FileVault Password Issues
- Apple ID Authentication Errors
- Login Issues After a macOS Update
- Making Use of the Guest Account
- Authentication Errors on Business Macs (MDM and Corporate Accounts)
- Last Resort: Data Recovery and Reinstallation
- Summary: Checklist of Steps to Try in Order
Login Failure vs. Black Screen — Two Different Problems
"Can't log in to my Mac" actually covers two very different situations. Identifying which one you're in determines the entire direction of your troubleshooting.
If the Login Screen Is Showing, You're in the Right Place
If you can see a username and password field, or the FileVault unlock screen is displayed, you've reached the login screen and this article applies to you. These are authentication failures involving Apple ID, your password, Touch ID, or MDM.
On the other hand, if pressing the power button produces no Apple logo, the startup process freezes with a black screen, or the desktop never appears after login (only the cursor moves), the problem exists before login even begins. In that case, please check How to Fix a Black Screen on Mac | Sleep Wake-Up, Boot Failure, and Post-Login Cases first.
What Is a Login Loop?
A login loop is when you enter your password and press Enter, the desktop briefly flashes into view, and then the login screen immediately reappears. Authentication itself has succeeded — the problem is an app or system setting that launches after login. This is fundamentally different from a rejected password (where the field shakes immediately after entry).
Identify Your Symptom First
Mac login failures follow a handful of distinct patterns. Identifying yours before reaching for a fix gets you to the solution faster.
Password Rejected (Screen Shakes)
You type your password, press Enter, and the input field shakes from side to side. macOS is telling you visually that the password you entered is wrong. Caps Lock being on, an active Japanese input mode, or a keyboard layout mismatch (JIS vs. US) accounts for the vast majority of these cases. If you've genuinely forgotten the password, proceed to the reset section.
Password Accepted but Login Loop Occurs
The screen dims briefly after you enter your password — you can almost see the desktop — but the login screen comes right back. The primary causes are a misbehaving app or LaunchDaemon that launches at login, or corrupted permissions on the user's home directory. Booting into Safe Mode is the right first step.
Only Guest Account Is Shown
The login screen shows only the Guest User and your own account is nowhere to be found. This usually means FileVault is active and requires recovery key authentication, or your administrator account has been deleted or disabled. On company-issued Macs, an MDM policy may be hiding local user accounts.
Stuck on Apple ID Authentication
A dialog appears after login asking you to enter your Apple ID password, but no matter what you type, it's rejected. The culprit is usually the Apple ID account itself — a lock, an incomplete two-factor authentication flow, or a recently changed password — and needs to be handled separately from the Mac.
Can't Get Past the FileVault Screen
At startup, the FileVault unlock screen appears and your password doesn't work. FileVault uses the same password as your macOS login, but under certain conditions — like resetting through Apple ID or a forced reset by another admin — the two can fall out of sync. Whether you have your recovery key is the key branching point here.
Authentication Error After a macOS Update
Login stopped working immediately after a major update or security update. The likely cause is that the update process left system files in a partially written state, or FileVault decryption failed partway through the update.
Quick Reference Table by Symptom
| Symptom | Likely Cause | First Thing to Try |
|---|---|---|
| Password rejected (screen shakes) | Caps Lock / typo / keyboard layout mismatch | Check Caps Lock → check keyboard layout |
| Password accepted but login loops | Misbehaving Login Item / corrupted home folder permissions | Boot into Safe Mode |
| Only Guest shown | FileVault recovery auth required / MDM policy | Enter FileVault recovery key / contact IT |
| Apple ID auth fails | Account locked / two-factor auth incomplete | Check account.apple.com from another device |
| Stuck at FileVault screen | Password mismatch / lost recovery key | Enter recovery key / go to macOS Recovery |
| Touch ID not working | First auth after reboot / sensor not recognizing | Switch to password entry |
| Auth error after update | System file corruption / FileVault decryption failure | Reinstall macOS from Recovery |
Basic Password Input Checks
When the login is rejected, start by reviewing your input environment. These are easy things to miss.
Caps Lock or Input Mode Switched On
Caps Lock on means every character you type is uppercase. If you see a "⇪" icon on the right side of the password field on the login screen, Caps Lock is active. Press Caps Lock once to turn it off, then retype your password.
On Japanese Mac keyboards, if you're in Kana input mode (shown as "あ"), typing may produce romanized Japanese characters instead of plain letters. Press the Eisu key to switch to "A" (alphanumeric) mode and try again. The login screen normally disables the IME, but in rare cases it can carry over after a Touch ID prompt.
JIS vs. US Keyboard Layout Mismatch
If you have an external keyboard connected, it may be recognized as a US layout when it's actually a JIS (Japanese) layout, or vice versa. Symptoms include @ and [ being swapped, or other symbol positions feeling off.
When your password contains @, brackets, or other symbols, a JIS-vs-US mismatch causes the wrong character to be entered even when you press the right key. Try disconnecting the external keyboard and using the built-in keyboard, or enter symbols at the positions corresponding to whichever layout is active.
Log In with Another User Account to Diagnose
If your Mac has multiple user accounts, try logging in as another administrator. If that works, the problem is isolated to the specific account — and from there you can reset that account's password.
- Select a different administrator account from the account list at the top-left of the login screen
- Log in with that account's password
- Open System Settings → Users and Groups
- Select the problem account and click "Reset Password"
If there is only one administrator account, or you've forgotten the password for that account itself, proceed to the next section on resetting via macOS Recovery.
What to Do If You've Forgotten Your Password
If you've completely forgotten your password, there are several ways to reset it. Which options are available depends on how your Mac is configured.
Reset with Apple ID
On macOS Sonoma and later, entering the wrong password three or more times causes a "Reset using Apple ID" option to appear — provided Apple ID is linked to the account.
- Enter the wrong password three or more times on the login screen
- Click the "Reset with Apple ID" or "Use Apple ID to unlock" link
- Enter your Apple ID and password and authenticate
- Enter the two-factor authentication code
- Set a new login password
If this option doesn't appear, Apple ID is either not linked to your password reset settings, or you're running macOS Ventura or earlier. In that case, use macOS Recovery instead.
Unlock with FileVault Recovery Key
If you generated a recovery key when setting up FileVault, you can use it to unlock the disk and then reset your password. Recovery keys are 24-character alphanumeric strings in the format "XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX".
- Enter the wrong password three times on the FileVault unlock screen (or click the "?" icon)
- Choose "Unlock with Recovery Key"
- Type in your recovery key
- Once macOS boots, reset your password from within the OS
Reset from macOS Recovery
If neither Apple ID reset nor a recovery key is available, you can reset your password from macOS Recovery. The steps differ between Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Apple Silicon Mac (M1 / M2 / M3 / M4):
- Fully shut down your Mac
- Hold the power button until "Loading startup options…" appears
- Click "Options (gear icon)" and then "Continue"
- Select an administrator account and enter that account's password (required to access Recovery)
- From the menu bar, open Utilities → Terminal
- Type resetpassword in Terminal and press Enter
Intel Mac:
- Restart your Mac and immediately hold Cmd + R as it boots
- Keep holding until the Apple logo appears, then release and wait for Recovery to load
- From the menu bar, open Utilities → Terminal
- Type resetpassword in Terminal and press Enter
How to Use the resetpassword Command
Running resetpassword in Terminal opens the Password Reset window.
- From the dropdown, select the volume containing the account you want to reset (Macintosh HD)
- Select the user account whose password you want to reset
- Enter a new password twice
- Click "Change Password"
- Restart your Mac and log in with the new password
If FileVault is enabled, resetting your password also updates the FileVault unlock password automatically. However, the FileVault recovery key itself does not change — your existing recovery key remains valid.
Fixing a Login Loop
If your password is correct but you keep getting kicked back to the login screen, the problem is not your credentials — it's something in the startup process that runs after login.
Boot into Safe Mode to Narrow Down the Cause
Safe Mode starts macOS without loading Login Items or kernel extensions. If you can log in successfully in Safe Mode, a software issue is the cause. If Safe Mode still fails, the problem is at the system level.
Safe Mode on Apple Silicon Mac:
- Shut down your Mac
- Hold the power button until "Loading startup options…" appears
- When the startup disk (Macintosh HD) appears, hold Shift and click "Continue"
- "Safe Boot" appears in the top-right corner and the login screen loads
Safe Mode on Intel Mac:
- Restart your Mac
- Immediately hold Shift as it starts up
- Release when "Safe Boot" appears on the login screen
If you can log in during Safe Mode, Login Items or extensions are to blame. Disable them in the next step.
When Login Items Are the Cause
After logging in under Safe Mode, follow these steps to disable Login Items.
- While in Safe Mode, open System Settings → General → Login Items and Extensions
- Turn off every app listed under "Open at Login"
- Restart your Mac normally and check whether you can log in
- If login works, re-enable apps one at a time — restarting each time — to identify which one is causing the loop
Also check the "Extensions" section. VPN clients, virtualization software, and older security tools are common culprits. Once you've identified the offending app, update it to the latest version or uninstall it.
NVRAM/PRAM Reset (Intel Mac Only)
On Intel Macs, some login-related settings are stored in NVRAM. Corruption there can trigger a login loop. This step is unnecessary and ineffective on Apple Silicon Macs.
- Shut down your Mac
- Press the power button, then immediately hold Cmd + Option + P + R simultaneously
- Keep holding until the startup chime sounds twice (or the Apple logo appears and disappears twice)
- Release the keys and let the Mac continue booting normally
Skip Login Items by Holding Shift at Login
Rather than entering Safe Mode fully, you can skip Login Item auto-launch just for that session during a normal boot. After typing your password and pressing Enter, immediately hold Shift and keep holding it until the desktop appears. Login Items will not launch.
This is a temporary workaround, not a permanent fix. If this lets you reach the desktop, proceed with disabling your Login Items as described above.
FileVault Password Issues
FileVault encrypts your entire Mac storage and requires a password to decrypt at startup. Its password handling is slightly different from your normal login.
FileVault Is Synced with Your macOS Password
The FileVault unlock password is the same as your macOS user login password. When you change your macOS password, the new password takes effect for FileVault starting with the next unlock.
However, if you reset the password via Apple ID or a forced reset by another administrator, the FileVault password can occasionally lag behind. In that case:
- Try entering the old password (the one before the change) at the FileVault screen
- If the old password unlocks it, log in to macOS and set a fresh password to bring them back in sync
Finding and Using Your Recovery Key
If you chose "recovery key" (rather than Apple ID-based recovery) when setting up FileVault, a 24-character alphanumeric recovery key was issued to you.
Check these locations for it:
- A printed sheet from when you set up FileVault
- A password manager or secure note
- iCloud Keychain (if managed via Apple ID, you can reset through Apple ID)
If you find the key: on the FileVault unlock screen, enter the wrong password three times to reveal the "?" icon. Click it to switch to the recovery key entry screen and type in your key.
What to Do If You've Lost the Recovery Key
If you've lost your recovery key and haven't set up Apple ID recovery either, accessing the encrypted data becomes extremely difficult. FileVault uses AES-XTS military-grade encryption, and brute-forcing it without the key is not realistic.
Your options are limited:
- Time Machine backup: If you have a Time Machine backup on an external drive, you may be able to retrieve your files from there
- Apple Support: Contact Apple — there may be official steps that can help in your specific situation
- Reinstall macOS: If recovering data is not an option, you can erase the storage from macOS Recovery and do a clean install to get the Mac working again
For the future: You can view or regenerate your recovery key in System Settings → Privacy and Security → FileVault while you're still logged in. Save it somewhere secure now.
Apple ID Authentication Errors
macOS sometimes asks for your Apple ID password at startup or after waking from sleep. If your password is correct but keeps being rejected, there is almost certainly an issue with the Apple ID account itself.
Check account.apple.com from Another Device
From a browser on a phone, tablet, or another computer, go to account.apple.com and review your Apple ID status.
- Navigate to https://account.apple.com
- Sign in with your Apple ID and password
- Under "Sign-In and Security," check whether the password was recently changed
- Check whether the account has been suspended, locked, or deleted
If you can't sign in to Apple ID from another device either, the account is locked or the password has been changed. Follow the unlock steps on account.apple.com.
Two-Factor Authentication Code Not Arriving
If two-factor authentication is enabled for your Apple ID and the code isn't arriving on a trusted device, try the following:
- Check other trusted Apple devices: The code should appear on any iPhone, iPad, or other Mac signed in with the same Apple ID
- Switch to SMS: If you have no trusted devices available, go to account.apple.com, select "More options," and have the code sent via SMS to a registered phone number
- Verify your trusted phone numbers: Go to account.apple.com → "Sign-In and Security" → "Two-Factor Authentication" to see registered numbers
- Apple ID recovery code: If you previously generated an Apple ID recovery code, you can use it to authenticate
Steps to Unlock Your Apple ID
If your Apple ID is locked (Apple can lock accounts for security reasons):
- Go to https://iforgot.apple.com
- Enter your Apple ID (email address) and click "Continue"
- Verify your identity following the on-screen instructions (using a trusted device, phone number, or recovery code)
- Set a new password and unlock the account
- Enter the new password in the dialog on your Mac
If none of your verification methods are available, contact Apple Support (https://support.apple.com) and request account recovery. You may need to provide identification documents.
Login Issues After a macOS Update
If you can no longer log in after a macOS update, something likely went wrong during the update process.
Known Cases Where Login Fails After an Update Completes
After major macOS updates (for example, Ventura → Sonoma → Sequoia), there are known reports of the login screen looping after the update completion screen, or being unable to advance past "Completing setup." Try the following first:
- Force restart: Hold the power button for 10 or more seconds to force the Mac off, then restart
- Boot into Safe Mode: Logging in via Safe Mode right after an update sometimes lets macOS complete the post-update initialization, allowing a normal boot afterward
- Wait it out: During the first boot after an update, FileVault may be re-encrypting and Spotlight may be reindexing in the background, which can peg the CPU and make the Mac appear frozen. Try waiting 30–60 minutes before concluding there is a real problem
Reinstall macOS from Recovery (Keeps Your Data)
Post-update login problems are usually resolved by reinstalling macOS. Reinstallation overwrites only system files — your photos, documents, and apps are preserved.
Apple Silicon Mac:
- Shut down your Mac
- Hold the power button until "Loading startup options…" appears
- Click "Options (gear)" and then "Continue"
- Select an administrator account and enter the password
- Select "Reinstall macOS" and choose Macintosh HD as the destination
- An internet connection is required — connect to Wi-Fi when prompted
Intel Mac:
- Restart your Mac and immediately hold Cmd + R
- Once Recovery loads, select "Reinstall macOS"
Installation takes 30–60 minutes. Keep your Mac plugged in throughout. Note that downgrading macOS is not officially supported by Apple and is generally not possible — if you run into post-update issues, reinstalling the current version is the recommended fix.
Making Use of the Guest Account
Even when you can't access your own account, the Guest User account — if enabled — gives you temporary access to your Mac and can serve as a foothold for data recovery.
Using Guest to Rescue Your Data
The Guest User account cannot access your home folder, but you may still be able to connect an external drive or USB stick and copy files to it. You can also open Terminal from the Guest session and inspect files within the areas accessible without an admin password.
To enable the Guest User account (requires a working admin login):
- Open System Settings → Users and Groups
- Select "Guest User"
- Turn on "Allow guests to log in to this computer"
Accessing Time Machine Backups from Another Mac
If you have a Time Machine backup on an external drive, connect that drive to another Mac and pull your files directly from the backup.
- Connect the external drive to another Mac
- Open the drive in Finder and browse the date folders inside "Backups.backupdb"
- Copy the files you need to another drive or to iCloud
If the backup was encrypted (you turned on backup encryption when setting it up), you'll need the backup password — this is a separate password you set when configuring Time Machine, not your login password.
Authentication Errors on Business Macs (MDM and Corporate Accounts)
Company-issued Macs often run MDM (Mobile Device Management), an enterprise device management system that introduces authentication mechanisms different from a personal Mac.
What MDM Locking Means
MDM products such as Jamf, Kandji, Mosyle, Addigy, and Microsoft Intune give IT administrators remote control over device behavior. A policy change made by your admin can immediately affect how your Mac operates.
Common MDM-related login failures:
- Forced password policy change: The admin changed password expiration or complexity requirements, invalidating your existing password
- Account lockout: Too many failed attempts triggered an automatic lockout
- Remote MDM lock: The admin remotely locked the Mac (lost or stolen device response) — a PIN code is then required to unlock it
- Activation Lock conflict: On Apple Silicon Macs, an Apple ID-linked Activation Lock can sometimes conflict with corporate MDM enrollment
Restrictions with Managed Apple ID
Organizations and educational institutions often use Managed Apple ID accounts. These differ from personal Apple IDs in important ways:
- Only your organization's IT administrator can reset the password
- Self-service reset via iforgot.apple.com may be blocked
- Trusted devices for two-factor authentication may be limited to company-issued devices only
- Access to Family Sharing and personal iCloud services may be restricted
To reset a Managed Apple ID password, you must contact your organization's IT administrator or the Apple School Manager / Apple Business Manager admin. There is no self-service path.
Directory Authentication That Requires a VPN
At larger organizations, user accounts are managed by an Active Directory (AD) or LDAP directory server, and the Mac may be configured to require a connection to the corporate network or VPN in order to log in.
- Restarting your Mac while working remotely without an active VPN can prevent the Mac from reaching the directory server, causing login to fail
- When directory authentication fails, cached credentials from the last successful login may allow you to log in without a network connection
- If the cache is stale — due to a long absence or a password change made online — you will need to be on the corporate network or connected to the VPN to log in
As a first step, try connecting via a wired LAN or office Wi-Fi before booting. If the VPN client itself needs to launch before you can connect, you may need a local account to log in first in order to start the VPN.
When to Contact Your IT Administrator
In the following situations, individual troubleshooting is unlikely to help — contact your internal IT help desk promptly:
- The screen shows "This device is locked" with a PIN code prompt from MDM
- The message "This account has been disabled" appears
- After login, "This device is not compliant with your organization's policy" appears
- You've forgotten your Managed Apple ID password and cannot reset it
- After reimaging or reinstalling your company Mac, the MDM profile cannot be re-enrolled
- A departing employee's account is still tied to the previous owner and the new user cannot log in
When contacting IT, note down the exact error message text, when it started, and what you did just before it happened — this helps IT resolve the issue much faster.
Last Resort: Data Recovery and Reinstallation
If none of the steps above have worked, it's time to rescue your data and reinstall macOS.
Target Disk Mode (Intel Mac)
Between two Intel Macs, Target Disk Mode lets you mount the problem Mac's storage as an external drive on a working Mac. FileVault must be unlocked with your password or recovery key.
- Shut down the problem Intel Mac
- Connect it to another Mac with a Thunderbolt (or USB-C) cable
- Power on the problem Mac while holding T to boot it into Target Disk Mode
- The problem Mac's drive appears in Finder on the other Mac
- Enter the FileVault password to unlock it and access your files
Mac Sharing Mode (Apple Silicon)
Apple Silicon Macs use Mac Sharing Mode (also called System Volume Share) instead of Target Disk Mode.
- Shut down the problem Apple Silicon Mac
- Hold the power button until "Loading startup options…" appears
- At the startup options screen, click "Options (gear)" and then "Continue"
- Select an administrator account and enter the password
- From the menu bar, select Utilities → Share Disk
- From another Mac, connect to this Mac in Finder under the Network section and copy your files out
Restoring from Time Machine
If you have a Time Machine backup on an external drive, you can restore your entire Mac to the state it was in at the backup date. This is especially effective when storage issues or system file corruption is involved.
- Connect the Time Machine backup drive to your Mac
- Enter macOS Recovery (Apple Silicon: hold power button / Intel Mac: hold Cmd + R)
- Select "Restore from Time Machine"
- Select the backup drive and choose the date and time to restore to
- Select a destination volume and start the restore (takes one to several hours)
Reinstall macOS (Keeps Your Data)
This option overwrites macOS system files while leaving your user data, apps, and settings intact. It's effective when system file corruption is the root cause.
- Enter macOS Recovery
- Select "Reinstall macOS"
- Choose "Macintosh HD" as the installation destination (do not select "Macintosh HD - Data")
- Connect to Wi-Fi and begin the installation
Full Erase and Clean Install
Once your data is safely copied out, or if you're selling or returning the Mac, erase the storage completely and do a clean install.
- Enter macOS Recovery
- Open "Disk Utility," select "Macintosh HD - Data" and delete it
- Select "Macintosh HD," click "Erase," and format as APFS
- Close Disk Utility and return to the Recovery menu
- Select "Reinstall macOS" to perform the clean install
On an Apple Silicon Mac that you're selling, using "Erase All Content and Settings" — found at System Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings — is the most thorough and convenient method. This option is available only when you can log in to macOS normally.
Summary: Checklist of Steps to Try in Order
Use this recommended sequence to work through "Can't log in to my Mac." Start with the item that matches your symptom.
- Black screen? Go to a different article: If the login screen never appears, see How to Fix a Black Screen on Mac | Sleep Wake-Up, Boot Failure, and Post-Login Cases
- Classify your symptom first: Determine whether you have a rejected password / login loop / FileVault issue / Apple ID issue / MDM issue
- Check Caps Lock, input mode, and keyboard layout — the top priority when the password is rejected
- Try logging in with another administrator account (if one exists) — if successful, reset the password from there
- Reset with Apple ID if you've forgotten your password and Apple ID is linked (macOS Sonoma or later)
- Enter your FileVault recovery key if you have it
- Run resetpassword from macOS Recovery — Apple Silicon: hold power / Intel Mac: Cmd+R
- Login loop: boot into Safe Mode and disable all Login Items
- Intel Mac only: NVRAM reset (Cmd + Option + P + R)
- Apple ID auth error: check account.apple.com from another device → use iforgot.apple.com if locked
- Post-update problems: try Safe Mode first, then reinstall macOS from Recovery
- MDM or Managed Apple ID issues on a business Mac: contact your IT help desk
- Need to rescue data: use Target Disk Mode (Intel Mac) or Mac Sharing Mode (Apple Silicon) to copy files to another Mac
- Final option: reinstall macOS (keeps data) or full erase and clean install
The majority of cases are resolved by steps 3 through 7. Remember that "password rejected" and "login loop" are two distinct problems — accurately identifying which one you have is the key to the fastest resolution. If you're facing a similar sign-in problem on Windows, see How to Fix Windows Sign-In Issues | PIN, Password, and Microsoft Account Diagnosis. For Mac issues in general, the Mac Troubleshooting Guide | Fixes Organized by Symptom is a good companion resource.
