Apple Account on Mac
Your Apple ID is an account that lets you access all Apple services. Use your Apple ID to download apps from the App Store; access media in Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple TV, and Apple Books; keep your content up to date across devices using iCloud; set up a Family Sharing group; and more.
You can also use your Apple ID to access other apps and websites (see Use Sign in with Apple on Mac in the macOS User Guide).
Important: If you forget your Apple ID password, you don’t need to create a new Apple ID. Just click the “Forgot Apple ID or password?” link in the sign-in window to retrieve your password.
If other family members use Apple devices, make sure that each family member has their own Apple ID. You can create Apple ID accounts for your kids and share purchases and subscriptions with Family Sharing, described later in this section.
To view the services you can use with your Apple ID, see the Apple Support article Where can I use my Apple ID?
All in one place. Manage everything related to your Apple ID in the same place. Open System Preferences on your Mac mini—your Apple ID and Family Sharing settings are at the top.
![The Apple ID pane in System Preferences. Click an item in the sidebar to update your account information, turn iCloud on or off, manage media accounts, and see all devices signed in with your Apple ID.](https://help.apple.com/assets/60BDB5E39A4D7B1DFE5790D3/60BDB864AE6C78450A424ED4/en_US/854db77cc77352bf7a1069f4e6a5f100.png)
Update account, security, and payment information. In System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select an item in the sidebar to review and update the information associated with your account.
Overview: The Overview pane lets you know if your account is set up and working properly—if not, you see tips and notifications here.
Name, Phone, Email: Update the name and contact information associated with your Apple ID. You can also manage Apple email newsletter subscriptions.
Password & Security: Change your Apple ID password, turn on two-factor authentication, add or remove trusted phone numbers, and generate verification codes to sign in to another device or iCloud.com. You can also manage which apps and websites use “Sign in with Apple.” See Use Sign in with Apple in the macOS User Guide.
Payment & Shipping: Manage the payment methods associated with your Apple ID, and your shipping address for purchases from the Apple Store.
iCloud: Select the checkbox next to an iCloud feature to turn the feature on. When you turn on an iCloud feature, your content is stored in iCloud and not locally on your Mac, so you can access it on any device with iCloud turned on and signed in with the same Apple ID.
Media & Purchases: Manage the accounts linked to Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple TV, and Apple Books; select purchasing settings; and manage your subscriptions.
See all your devices. At the bottom of the Apple ID sidebar, see all the devices linked to your Apple ID. You can verify that Find My [device] is turned on for each one (see Find My), see the status of iCloud Backup for an iOS or iPadOS device, or remove a device from your account if you no longer own it.
Family Sharing. With Family Sharing, you can set up a family group and create Apple ID accounts for your kids. To manage your family sharing settings, click Family Sharing in System Preferences and select an icon in the sidebar to review and update your information. You can add or remove family members; share media purchases, payment methods, iCloud storage, and your locations; and set Screen Time limits for your children (see Screen Time on Mac). To learn more, see the Apple Support article Set up Family Sharing.
![A preferences window showing Family Sharing settings.](https://help.apple.com/assets/60BDB5E39A4D7B1DFE5790D3/60BDB864AE6C78450A424ED4/en_US/8c39c8d5342dcbacf221db9fa4a5f6a1.png)
Share purchases and storage with Family Sharing. Up to six members of your family can share their purchases from the App Store, Apple TV app, Apple Books, and iTunes Store and share the same storage plan—even if they each use their own iCloud account. Pay for family purchases with one credit card, and approve your kids’ spending right from your Mac mini, iOS device, or iPadOS device. Share locations, so you can help family members find lost devices.
Account Recovery. Add one or more people you trust as a recovery contact or set up a recovery key to help you reset your password and regain access to your account.
![The Password and Security section of Apple ID in System Preferences. Click manage to set up Account Recovery.](https://help.apple.com/assets/60BDB5E39A4D7B1DFE5790D3/60BDB864AE6C78450A424ED4/en_US/660ec3f8e79e704b2522b36857c71c89.png)
Learn more. To learn more about iCloud and Family Sharing, see Access your iCloud content on your Mac and Manage a Family Sharing group on Mac in the macOS User Guide.