Try to change it by going to System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> your account, and click on Change Password...
Answer from Ilari Scheinin on Stack ExchangeReddit
reddit.com › r/mac › are there password strength requirements for macos login?
r/mac on Reddit: Are there password strength requirements for MacOS login?
January 9, 2024 -
Hello,
I am currently considering switching from Windows to Mac. In fact, I had decided to switch, and was ready to place an order as soon as my desired spec came back to the refurb store. I was really looking forward to the Macbook Pro's great hardware, performance, and battery life as comapred to Windows laptops.
However - I have just learned that there are no options for fingerprint login on Mac other than the TouchID built into the laptop itself, or the Magic Keyboard. This means that, since I use a different keyboard, and will have the laptop docked in clamshell mode, that I will not be able to use my fingerprint to login.
This is really not ideal, and may convince me to stick with Windows. But I wanted to check - if I do go for this setup, and so I am required to use a password to login (and for unlocking settings, store, etc.), does MacOS have password strength requirements for the system password? And if so, what are they? I have not been able to find this info anywhere online.
Top answer 1 of 5
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There’s no password strength requirements for macOS login, and you can set it up so that it logs into your account automatically upon startup (you’ll have to sacrifice FileVault for this). If you insist on NOT using Magic Keyboard with touchID you can unlock your Mac with an Apple Watch for any situation other than initial account login after startup.
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If you have access to a Mac with the current macOS then in terminal you should be able to >man pwpolicy Here's the beginning of the output from macOS 13.x, one version from most current. It goes on for a "while". NAME pwpolicy – gets and sets password policies SYNOPSIS pwpolicy [-h] pwpolicy [-v] [-a authenticator] [-p password] [-u username | -c computername] [-n nodename] command command-arg pwpolicy [-v] [-a authenticator] [-p password] [-u username | -c computername] [-n nodename] command "policy1=value1 policy2=value2 ..." DESCRIPTION pwpolicy manipulates password policies. Options -a name of the authenticator -c name of the computer account to modify -p password (omit this option for a secure prompt) -u name of the user account to modify -n use a specific directory node; the search node is used by default. -v verbose -h help Commands -getglobalpolicy Get global policies. DEPRECATED. -setglobalpolicy Set global policies. DEPRECATED. -getpolicy Get policies for a user. DEPRECATED. --get-effective-policy Gets the combination of global and user policies that apply to the user. DEPRECATED. -setpolicy Set policies for a user. DEPRECATED. -setpassword Set a new password for a user. Non-administrators can use this command to change their own passwords.
Miradore
miradore.com › bugbounty - poc › kb articles › device data & configuration › macos password policy for local users
MacOS password policy for local users | Miradore
July 10, 2025 - The Password configuration profile is available in all free and paid plans of Miradore. It enables you to enforce the use of login passwords for all local accounts on a Mac. Additionally, you can make users change their passwords at the next login and set requirements for the passwords.
Videos
How to reset your Mac login password | Apple Support - YouTube
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Using the Built-In Mac Password Manager - YouTube
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How to Disable Login Password On Mac - YouTube
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How to Change the Login Password on macOS - YouTube
Apple Support
support.apple.com › guide › mac-help › require-a-password-after-waking-your-mac-mchlp2270 › mac
Require a password after waking your Mac - Apple Support
To keep your Mac secure when you’re away from it, set it to require a password when it wakes.
MacRumors
forums.macrumors.com › macs › macos › macos ventura (13)
Did Apple Change The Password Policies on the Mac? | MacRumors Forums
February 24, 2023 - Just checked on my Ventura system, and can change to new password with 8 characters or more, plus a mix of characters/numbers/special characters. Something else is modifying/adding to what the default account login requires.
LogMeOnce
logmeonce.com › home › macbook password requirements
Macbook Password Requirements
June 17, 2024 - Discover the specific password requirements for Macbooks, including minimum length, upper and lowercase characters, symbols, and much more. Make sure your Macbook password meets the necessary requirements to protect your data and keep your digital information secure.
Top answer 1 of 5
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Try to change it by going to System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> your account, and click on Change Password...
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Password policy is only enforced on OS X if you have a profile setting it or if the machine is bound to a directory server.
- Checking profiles is the easiest - Open your System Preferences and go to the Profiles preference pane.
- Checking binding can be done by opening terminal and showing the status:
dsconfigad -show
Delete any profiles that are setting password policy / restrictions and you will then be able to choose your desired password. Or you can reach out to the people that set your password policy and see what can be done to change the restrictions they have placed on your Mac. This isn't something that Apple defines as the out of the box experience as local passwords can be as short and insecure as you wish. You could have no password by pressing enter in the Users & Groups preference pane where you change the password using the normal graphical interface.
MacRumors
forums.macrumors.com › macs › macos › macos
macOS forced me to reset my password with complex requirements... what's going on? | MacRumors Forums
February 3, 2022 - These requirements can be imposed by a configuration profile installed by the owner. She may also have added a profile as part of BYOD at work... Click to expand... Thanks for the reply. Yes, it's her personal MacBook Air. That's the weird part. I have no idea where these password requirements could have come from, or how to remove them.
Apple Support
support.apple.com › guide › mac-help › change-login-password-settings-on-mac-mchl0daacc9f › mac
Change Login Password settings on Mac - Apple Support
Change the login password and password hint for the current user on your Mac.
JustAnswer
justanswer.com › mac-computers › oondd-remove-password-requirement-new.html
How do I remove the password requirement to get into my new Macbook air
Specifically, there are settings under "Security & Privacy" that control the requirement for a password ***** sleep or screen saver begins. Adjusting these settings can help achieve the desired effect of not needing to enter a password ***** ... OK. I'm all set. Thanks so much. ... You are very welcome! Thank you for your patience! Unfortunately, I didn't get any response from your side on my question above, but here is what you need to do. To remove or adjust the password ***** on your new MacBook Air running macOS 13.4, follow these steps.
Quora
quora.com › How-strong-should-my-PC-Mac-password-be-and-why
How strong should my PC / Mac password be, and why? - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): You can use any 8-digit password on your home PC/Mac. Just use a meaningless/jumbled combinations of letters and numbers. Nobody is likely to spend 10 hours or more trying to bruteforce a 8-digit password on your PC.
Passwarden
passwarden.com › secure password manager - passwarden › help › use-cases › some words about mac default password
Mac Default Password and Benefits of Passwarden
The Mac’s line includes the original ... the newest one the MacBook Air which was made in 2008. This device was created by uniting the PowerBook’s and the iBooks features. In this article, we’ll be talking about how to reset your Mac default password also known as the default ...
Scalefusion
help.scalefusion.com › v1 › docs › password-policies-for-macos-devices
Password Policies for Mac (macOS) Devices
In this document, we will walk through through how to configure and publish a password policy. Navigate to Device Profiles & Policies > Passcode Policy and click on the Mac tab. Enable Require Password to start defining the password policy.
Incidentiq
volusia.incidentiq.com › kb › articles › 79a010fc-3090-4e19-80e5-5818cefb5503
Incident IQ
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Mac-Forums
mac-forums.com › apple computing products: › macos - operating system
macOS Password Policy | Mac-Forums | Fix Mac iPhone iPad | Buying Tips | iOS OS Help
February 18, 2022 - On a Mac, the only way I know how to do this is via terminal, via a command similar to this: pwpolicy -a username -u username -setpolicy "minChars=8 requiresAlpha=1".....so forth. I am wanting to see if there is a way to set the password policy on a mac without using the terminal.
Apple Support
support.apple.com › guide › mac-help › understand-passwords-mchlp2555 › mac
Mac User Guide - Apple Support
Recover a recently deleted password · Got a new Mac? Learn the essentials for your model. Find the Getting Started guide for your Mac · Personal, private—and integrated into macOS. Learn more about Apple Intelligence · To explore the Mac User Guide, click Table of Contents at the top of the page, or enter a word or phrase in the search field. If you need more help, visit the macOS Support website. Welcome · About your Mac model · MacBook Air ·
Medium
hearnofficial.medium.com › how-to-use-short-passwords-on-macos-mojave-4-characters-not-required-4c66a54183eb
How To Use Short Passwords On MacOS Big Sur. 4 Characters Not Required. (Updated) | by CHARLES HEARN | Medium
November 22, 2020 - If you’re an Apple user and have macOS Big Sur, Catalina or Mojave installed on your machine you’ve probably realized you can’t use a password shorter than 4 characters anymore…
Medportal
medportal.ca › public › help › general › library-resources › mac-ids-and-passwords
MAC ID's and passwords Solution - KB · medportal
Visit this page if you are unsure what your MAC ID is or forget your password. MAC ID Password Requirements: MAC ID passwords must be a minimum of 8 characters in length and must contain 3 of these 4 elements (uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, or symbols).
Apple Support
support.apple.com › guide › deployment › enforce-password-policies-depeadc2af0b › web
Enforce password policies for your devices - Apple Support
Passcode and password settings that you configure remotely with your device management service can push policies directly to devices. That means you can enforce and update policies with no user involvement. Policies pushed to devices can include requirements for:
Apple Support
support.apple.com › guide › security › passcodes-and-passwords-sec20230a10d › web
Passcodes and passwords - Apple Support
The passcode or password is entangled with the device’s UID, so brute-force attempts must be performed on the device under attack. A large iteration count is used to make each attempt slower. The iteration count is calibrated so that one attempt takes approximately 80 milliseconds.
Macworld
macworld.com › home › software › how-to
How to password-protect your Mac--and keep other people from using it | Macworld
January 9, 2023 - You can set this by going to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, and checking the option to require a password with “immediately” as your time frame. When done, you can invoke Sleep either from the Apple menu, by closing your MacBook’s lid, or by briefly pressing its Power ...