How to Set Up an Account Recovery Contact on your MacOS

Adding an account recovery contact to your Mac is just as short and simple as the adding one on your iPhone or iPad. Account Recovery Contacts allow you to access your Mac even when you may have forgotten your password.

However, note that this feature is only available on the MacOS Monterey and older. To set up your Account Recovery Contact on your MacOS, take these steps.

Click the Apple Logo at the top-left side of your screen, this will open the Apple Menu. Then, select “System Preferences.”

On the newly loaded page, tap the Apple Icon at the top-right side of your screen – not too far from your Apple ID name.

Next, click “Payment & Security.” Then, on the new column at your left, Search for “Account Recovery” and click the “Manage” button beside it.

Afterward, a new pop-up menu should appear. When it does, click the “+” option to add a new account recovery contact.

Now, Tap “Add Recovery Contact” on the next pop-up, then fill in your Mac’s password, as required.

Then, click “Choose Someone” to add a recovery account contact (You can add more contacts by clicking “ Choose Someone else.”)

NB: If you belong to a family sharing group, the members will automatically be part of your account recovery contacts. In such a case, you can simply click “ Choose Someone Else.”

After selecting your preferred account recovery contacts, you should see a blue tick/check mark on each (similar to the verified icon on social media platforms)

Next, Click “Continue.” On the new page, you’d see a request message that will be sent to your selected contacts, requesting for their permission. You can also customize the message if you want.

Your selected contacts can only become part of your account recovery contacts if they accept your request. If they don’t, you may have to add more.