what password?

[denetoet]

Hello all,
I am cleaning up the mess of id's and passwords. And checking them.

I am not sure of the passwords that I should use for my Apple account when I need to!
In other words: my Mac runs fine, but I am not sure under which password I originally logged in. Sometimes in the past I had to change passwords and you get confused.

But of course I presume what password is the right one. Therefore I would like to test - to provoke a demand for - my password. Just to see if I am right.

In Apple> System Preferences> Apple ID> Password & Security I find the option 'change password', but I fear that, using this, I cannot come back to the one - I think - I am using now. Maybe the 'changed' password is not allowed to be identical to the one used to open the process for changing.

About the same dilemma I have with my Gmail accounts, maybe checking there is simpler.

Is there a simple solution? Please tell me! Thank you for your answers!

Dirk
MacBook Pro late 2013
Big Sur 11.1

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

The easiest way to check your account password to login to your Mac is to go to the same place you were:  > System Preferences... > Security & Privacy, or any preference pane that has the lock, then click the lock in the lower left of the window. It will prompt for your Mac user account password. It's the same password you use to login to your Mac, install software, etc. If it unlocks, then you have your Mac password.

As for Google accounts, you can always use a private Safari window, go to https://accounts.google.com. You will then enter one of your full Gmail email accounts, click Next, then try the password. NOTE: If you don't get it in the first two tries, stop, as you don't want to lock your account. You can use the Forgot password? function, but too may failed attempts there may lock your Gmail account as well.

Your Apple ID password is used for iCloud and iTunes/App Store/etc. purchases. If you don't remember it, you can go to https://iforgot.apple.com and follow those steps.

Hope that helps.

C