# The Techno-peasant forgets his Apple password **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684 "2020-02-09T20:07:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/1 "2020-02-09T20:07:23Z")
I wrote it down and put it in a safe place {{sigh}} So I google it, and Apple support says: “Go to Settings, click your name, then “Passwords and Security”, then “Change password”. And follow the instructions. > **[If you forgot your Apple ID password](https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201487)** > > Here's how to reset your Apple ID password and regain access to your account. Except when I click “Passwords and security”, it wants my password. :smack: What am I doing wrong? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/2 "2020-02-09T20:17:29Z")
What device? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/3 "2020-02-09T20:23:18Z")
Apple iPhone XR ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/4 "2020-02-09T20:45:43Z")
I think you’re following instructions to _change_ your passcode to something else, assuming that you know your current one. If you have forgotten your passcode, I think you need to erase the phone completely to reset it. Assuming that you backed up your phone to cloud or a computer (you did, right?) you can then restore your data to the phone from backup. > **[If you forgot your iPhone passcode](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306)** > > Forgot your iPhone passcode? Learn how to get your iPhone into recovery mode so you can erase it and set it up again. If you didn’t back up your phone, I think you have lost all your data. And I’d say this is a feature, not a bug. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/5 "2020-02-09T20:51:57Z")
The support page I linked to is about how to re-set when you forget. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/6 "2020-02-09T21:26:06Z")
The page you’re linking to is if you forget the password for your phone itself. I’ve not got that problem. Can open my phone just fine. I’m trying to log into the iCloud using my Apple password, which I’ve forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/7 "2020-02-09T21:28:43Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > The support page I linked to is about how to re-set when you forget. Ah, sorry, I somehow glossed over your link. So, are you talking about having lost your Apple ID password, i.e. the general password for your Apple account, or the device-specific passcode for your phone? ETA: our posts crossed, you’ve answered that ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/8 "2020-02-09T21:31:06Z")
Did you notice the instructions at the very bottom? Where it says: > [@](#): > > If you can’t change or reset your password > > If you tried the previous steps and were unable to change or reset your password, you may not be signed into iCloud on an eligible device or have two-factor authentication enabled for your Apple ID. You’ll need to try these steps instead. Got to the account page ([https://appleid.apple.com/](https://appleid.apple.com/)) and click the Forgot Apple ID or Password link. That will take you to where you can reset your forgotten password (after answering a few questions to prove its really you) ETA: Got to? I meant Go to. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-techno-peasant-forgets-his-apple-password/847684/9 "2020-02-11T12:25:17Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Did you notice the instructions at the very bottom? Where it says: > Got to the account page ([https://appleid.apple.com/](https://appleid.apple.com/)) and click the Forgot Apple ID or Password link. That will take you to where you can reset your forgotten password (after answering a few questions to prove its really you) > > ETA: Got to? I meant Go to. That worked! Thanks!