How to Turn Off Password Login on a Mac

Co-authored by Spike Baron

Last Updated: October 25, 2022

Turning off password login on a Mac is a simple one or two-step process. In order to disable password login, simply access your System Preferences and make a few changes to your Users & Groups settings. If you have FileVault turned on, you must disable it before you can turn off password login.^{[1]
X
Research source}

Things You Should Know

When you turn on Automatic Login, your Mac will instantly sign in to your account at startup without requiring a password.
You'll need to turn off File Vault before you can set up Automatic Login.
Your Automatic Login settings are in the Users & Groups section of System Preferences.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Turning off FileVault

1
Click the Apple icon. It's the Apple logo at the top left corner of the menu bar.
2
Click System Preferences.

Advertisement
3
Click the "Security & Privacy" icon. It looks like a house.
4
Click FileVault.
5
Click the padlock icon. It's at the bottom left corner of the window.
6
Type in your password.
7
Click Unlock.
8
Click Turn Off FileVault.
9
Click Restart & Turn off Encryption. Your Mac will restart.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Disabling Automatic Login

1
Click the Apple icon. It's the Apple logo at the top left corner of the menu bar.
2
Click System Preferences.
3
Click the "Users & Groups" icon. It looks like a person's silhouette.
4
Click the padlock icon to login as administrator. It's at the bottom left corner of the window.
- Type in your password.
- Click Unlock or press ↵ Enter.
5
Click Login Options. It's at the bottom of the left pane.
6
Click the "Automatic login" drop-down menu.
7
Click on a user account.
8
Type in the password.
9
Press ↵ Enter. This user account is now set up to login automatically without having to enter a password.
- You might be asked to log in manually after logging out of the account, locking your screen, or switching from another user account.

Expert Q&A

Question

Can I turn password login off in my user profile?

Spike Baron
Network Engineer & Desktop Support
Spike Baron is the Owner of Spike's Computer Repair based in Los Angeles, California. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.

Spike Baron

Network Engineer & Desktop Support

Expert Answer

Yes. In your user profile, go into the accessory panel and click "Settings." You can turn off the password requirement there.