If you did not install Avast Passwords using the App Store: Ensure Avast Passwords is open, then click Help in the top-left corner of your Mac screen and select Uninstall. Uninstalling Avast Passwords deletes all the data you have saved in the application (including passwords and notes). Avast Passwords for Mac protects all of your accounts with just one, unbreakable password. All you need to remember is that one master password. Avast passwords for Mac can do all that remembering for you, for free. Avast doesn't use the typical menu of logins attached to its toolbar button. Rather, you click the button and launch the main application. Unlike the Windows edition, this is a separate app, not. Select ”My password doesn't work when logging in,” then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions for your user account. Create a new login keychain, if necessary After resetting your password and logging back in to your account, you might see an alert that the system was unable to unlock your login keychain.
Use the list below to make sure that each store or service is using your updated sign-in information. You can use these steps to sign in on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV.
In some cases, you don't need to update your Apple ID or password on your device until the next time you're asked to sign in to the store or service. But if you're using services to share information or communicate with others, you should update your Apple ID or password immediately.
Apple Developer Programs
Nothing needs to be done. Within 24 hours of changing your Apple ID or password, the change automatically updates for Apple's developer programs.
Apple Online Store
Update your Apple ID and password on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and PC.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
If you’re using iOS 10.3 or later, go to Settings > [your name] > iTunes & App Store. If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store.
- If you're signed out, enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, tap your Apple ID, then tap Sign Out. Then enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Mac with OS X Mountain Lion or later, or Windows PC
- Go to the Apple website.
- Click , then click Account.
- In the Account Settings section, click Apple ID and password.
- Enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Apple Retail Store services
When you make a Genius Bar, Workshop, Business, or Joint Venture reservation, you'll be asked to sign in with your Apple ID and password.
Apple Support website and Apple Support Communities
Go to the Apple Support website.
- If you're signed out, enter your updated Apple ID and password the next time you use a feature of the site that requires you to sign in. For example, you'll be asked to sign in to view an open case.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, click Sign Out, then click Sign Out again to confirm. The next time you use a feature of the site that requires you to sign in, enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Go to the Apple Support Communities.
- If you're signed out, click Sign in and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, click Sign out, then click Sign in and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
FaceTime
Update your Apple ID and password on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Go to Settings > FaceTime.
- If you're signed out on your iPhone or iPod touch, tap 'Use your Apple ID for FaceTime' and enter your updated Apple ID and password. On your iPad, just enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, tap your Apple ID, then tap Sign Out. On your iPhone or iPod touch, tap 'Use your Apple ID for FaceTime' and enter your updated Apple ID and password to sign in. On your iPad, just enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Mac with OS X Mountain Lion or later
- Open the FaceTime app.
- Select FaceTime > Preferences.
- If you're signed out, enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, select your Apple ID, click Sign Out. Then click Sign Out again when asked to confirm, and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Find My iPhone
Open the Find My iPhone app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
- If you're signed out, enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, tap Sign Out. Then tap Sign Out again when asked to confirm, and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
iCloud
Update your Apple ID and password on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, and Apple TV.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
If you’re using iOS 10.3 or later, go to Settings > [your name]. If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iCloud.
- If you're signed out, enter your updated Apple ID and password. The data in iCloud will automatically appear on your device after you sign in.
- If you're still signed in with your previous Apple ID:
- Scroll down and tap Sign Out, then follow the onscreen steps. You might need to enter your password. Your data will remain in iCloud and will be updated on your device when you sign in to iCloud again.
- Enter your updated Apple ID and password.
If you updated your Apple ID email address* before signing out of iCloud, and your device repeatedly asks for the password to your previous Apple ID, you can temporarily change your Apple ID to sign in.
Mac with OS X Mountain Lion or later
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
- If you're signed out, enter your updated Apple ID and password to sign in. The data in iCloud will automatically appear on your device after you sign in.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID:
- Click Sign Out. Depending on what iCloud options are turned on, you'll be asked if you want to make copies or delete iCloud data (Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Bookmarks, Photo Stream) from your Mac. Your data will remain in iCloud and will be updated on your device when you sign in to iCloud again.
- Enter your updated Apple ID and password to sign in.
Windows PC
Open iCloud for Windows and click Sign Out.
- If you're signed out, sign in with your updated Apple ID and password. The data in iCloud will automatically appear on your device after you sign in.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID:
- Click Sign Out. Depending on what iCloud options are turned on, you'll be asked if you want to make copies or delete iCloud data (Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Bookmarks, Photo Stream) from your PC. Click Delete. Your data will remain in iCloud and will be updated on your device when you sign in to iCloud again.
- Sign in with your updated Apple ID and password.
Apple TV
To play content from your Mac or PC on an Apple TV HD, go to Settings > Accounts > iCloud. On Apple TV (3rd generation or earlier) go to Settings > iCloud.
- If you're signed out, choose Sign In. You'll be asked to sign in with the Apple ID that you entered for the iTunes Store. If you use the same Apple ID for iCloud and the iTunes Store, choose Yes.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, choose Sign Out, then choose Sign In. You'll be asked to sign in with the Apple ID that you entered for the iTunes Store. If you use the same Apple ID for iCloud and the iTunes Store, choose Yes.
iTunes Store, Books Store, and App Store
Update your Apple ID and password on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV, or Windows PC. iTunes includes iTunes Genius, iTunes Home Sharing, iTunes Match, iTunes Store, and iTunes U.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
If you’re using iOS 10.3 or later, go to Settings > [your name] > iTunes & App Store. If you’re using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store.
- If you're signed out, enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, tap your Apple ID, then tap Sign Out. Then enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Mac with OS X Mountain Lion or later
Open iTunes.
- If you're signed out, select Account > Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, select Account > Sign Out, then select Account > Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Open Apple Books.
- If you're signed out, choose Store > Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, choose Store > Sign Out, then choose Store > Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Open the App Store.
- If you're signed out, click Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, choose Store > Sign Out, then click Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Apple TV
On Apple TV HD, go to Settings > Accounts > iTunes and App Store. On Apple TV (3rd generation or earlier), go to Settings > iTunes Store.
- If you're signed out, choose Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, choose Sign Out, then choose Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
For Home Sharing on Apple TV HD, go to Settings > Accounts > Home Sharing. On Apple TV (3rd generation or earlier), go to Settings > Computers. Then choose Turn Off Home Sharing. When you're asked to confirm, choose Turn Off. Then choose Turn On Home Sharing, and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Windows PC
Open iTunes.
- If you're signed out, select Account > Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, select Account > Sign Out, then select Account > Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Jobs at Apple
Go to Jobs at Apple and click My Profile.
- If you're signed out, click Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, click Sign Out, then click Sign In and enter your updated Apple ID and password.
My Windows Password Doesn't Work
Messages
After you update your Apple ID, your friends will receive new messages from your updated Apple ID. Old messages aren't removed.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Go to Settings > Messages, then tap Send & Receive.
- If you're signed out on your iPhone or iPod touch, tap 'Use your Apple ID for iMessage' then enter your updated Apple ID and password. On your iPad, just enter your updated Apple ID or password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, tap your Apple ID, then tap Sign Out. On your iPhone or iPod touch, tap 'Use your Apple ID for iMessage' and enter your updated Apple ID or password. On your iPad, just enter your updated Apple ID and password.
Mac with OS X Mountain Lion or later
Open the Messages app, select Messages > Preferences, click the Accounts tab, then select your Apple ID from the list of accounts.
- If you're signed out, sign in with your updated Apple ID and password.
- If you're signed in with your previous Apple ID, click Sign Out, then click Sign Out again when asked to confirm. Sign in with your updated Apple ID and password.
Volume Purchase Program
If you changed your Apple ID or password and you're in the Volume Purchase Program, contact Apple Support for help. Changing your Apple ID or password will prevent you from signing in to your purchasing account, making purchases, and accessing previous purchases.
FaceTime isn't available in all countries or regions.
* In China mainland and India, you can use your phone number as your Apple ID.
Macs may be a far less tempting target for malware and viruses, but they’re not immune from attack. Even if you don’t care about adware or being used as a means to infect users on other platforms, it’s still possible to fall victim to ransomware, password theft, or stolen iPhone backups.
Accordingly, good antivirus software will protect your Mac on all of these fronts. It’ll catch malware that’s still spreading or in circulation; block ransomware; protect older systems with out-of-date software from security vulnerabilities; prevent your Mac from acting as a carrier for malware aimed at other operating systems; and keep infected files off of any virtual machines you’re running.
Antivirus for Mac cheat sheet
Our quick-hit recommendations:
- Best paid antivirus for Mac:Sophos Home Premium for Mac[sophos.com]
- Best free antivirus for Mac:Avast Free Mac Security[avast.com]
Many antivirus suites provide a decent level of protection, but a few rise above all others by providing the very best in performance. Our top contenders dominate by posting perfect (or virtually near perfect) scores from security research labs, passing our own malware detection tests with flying colors, offering well-designed interfaces, and even throwing in extra features like a firewall or password manager.
Updated 08/15/19: Added our review of Avira Free Antivirus, a worthy free option that’s easy to use and effective.
Looking for Windows antivirus recommendations? You can read about the best antivirus suites for PC on our sister site, PCWorld.
Best overall antivirus software
on Sophos
Sophos Home Premium has the most extensive and up-to-date approach to fighting malware at an unbeatable price.
Sophos Home Premium has it all: Effective malware protection, ransomware monitoring, protection against potentially-unwanted-apps, and additional features that often require separately licensed software. Its cloud-based configuration and generous licensing (up to 10 Macs and PCs) also make it easy to shield friends and family from threats, no matter where they live. (Full details available in our review.)
Best free antivirus software
Though Sophos does offer a good free version of its software, Avast Free Mac Security edges it out as the best free antivirus software for macOS. In security lab tests, Avast detected 99.9 percent of macOS malware, and 100 percent of Windows malware. However, if you want more advanced protection (like ransomware detection), you’ll need to upgrade to paid software.
What to look for in antivirus software
By our reckoning, antivirus software should be able to neutralize a threat before it can begin wreaking havoc. That means preventing the download, installation, or execution of malicious software.
Since you can encounter threats by visiting compromised or malicious websites, receiving virus-laden attachments, or accessing USB drives with malware, good AV software should scan on a continuous basis unless you configure it otherwise. And ideally, files identified as malicious should be quarantined into a special storage area managed by the AV software, with the option to automatically delete files known to be malware or repair normal documents that also carry devious payloads.
Great AV suites also will monitor the filesystem for certain kinds of changes. Ransomware—which is malware that will rapidly encrypt user files like documents and mailboxes and then delete the originals—has become a huge moneymaker on other platforms. As a prime opportunity for attackers, it’s the greatest danger Mac users likely face as a category.
Detecting this pattern and halting it before any files are unavailable should be possible without an anti-malware system knowing the specific innards of a ransomware virus. Sophos, our top pick, includes this feature in the Home Premium version of its 2018 update. Other vendors, like Avast and Trend Micro Antivirus, offer an alternative feature that allows you to whitelist programs allowed to manipulate files in specific directories. So if this particular type of attack becomes rapidly popular, you’ll be protected.
Good antivirus software should also use minimal computational resources. That’s especially the case these days—AV monitoring hasn’t become much more complicated than when it first became available, and faster, multi-core CPUs can easily handle the demands of running AV software in the background without disturbing your active work.
Beyond these primary features, an easy-to-navigate interface and extra features are worth factoring into your decision. Some AV software are full-fledged suites that offer additional options like backup service for essential files, a password manager, parental controls, anti-tracking and privacy modes or options, a more advanced firewall, and the blocking of Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs).
How we test
Each software package is evaluated creating a clean installation of macOS Mojave, cloning it for each AV product, and then booting separately into each one to install a different package. This was to ensure that previous app installations didn’t interfere with new ones—sometimes AV software treats other AV software as an infection.
In addition to visiting malicious websites, downloading known malicious software, and even running said malware, we also reference the most recent reports from two labs that regularly cover macOS malware: AV Comparatives and AV-TEST. These laboratories test AV software against sets of known malware as well as products that are grouped as potentially unwanted applications (like adware).
The latter doesn’t damage or expose your computer or its files but may consume power and CPU cycles. Because the testing effectively looks at a combination of virus databases and behavior, they remain good gauges even after many months. When an antivirus software package lacks a rating from a known security research lab, we do more extensive testing with real malware.
Finally, while we gave props for a lot of different features and behaviors, we marked products down if they lacked any or all of the following:
- A nearly perfect score on macOS malware detection
- Ransomware monitoring
- Native browser plug-in or system-level Web proxy
- A high score on Windows malware detection
Privacy concerns
Using an anti-virus product, especially any that includes tools to also improve your online privacy, may lull you into believing you’re safe from personal and private information leaking out. That’s not quite the case. While there’s no reason to panic, you should consider a few reasonable issues.
First, an antivirus product may upload the complete text of files flagged to the cloud, where it can be analyzed by separate tools hosted there. This practice is normal and sensible: Some malware can detect when a running process may examine it, and will then engage in subterfuge. Antivirus software makers also can access their massive databases to examine files with characteristics that trigger their algorithms—certain elements that match known malware. As a result, security researchers discover new viruses, worms, Trojans horses, and the like.
However, helping the greater good means you’ll have to be comfortable with trusting a third-party with your file contents. Where appropriate, we noted privacy policy issues in individual reviews.
Why Won't My Passwords Work
Second, this software may also rely partly or entirely on cloud-based checks of URLs, malware, and the like. Accordingly, an AV package might upload every URL you visit, metadata about files, signatures of files, information about your computer’s hardware, a list of running or installed applications, and more. Companies vary on their disclosure of such policies, and may not let you opt out of this kind of sharing. We note issues in each review as available.
My Password Doesn't Work Anymore
Third, anti-virus software makers also get a sense of what behavior is happening on your computer that’s being monitored or blocked, and may use that information for their own purposes. In some cases, you can opt out of this information gathering.
All of our antivirus for Mac reviews
If you have specific requirements or just wish to see other options, below is a list of all the antivirus software we’ve reviewed. We’ll keep evaluating new and refreshed software on a regular basis, so be sure to come back to see what else we’ve put through the ringer.