Two things get confused because they share a word: signing in to your Apple ID (the account that ties your Mac to iCloud, the App Store, and Messages) and Sign in with Apple (a button that logs you into other apps and websites without creating yet another password). This guide covers both, in the order you actually hit them on a Mac.
First: sign in to your Apple ID on the Mac
This is the account for the whole machine. On any Mac running a current macOS:
- Open System Settings (the gear icon in the Dock, or Apple menu > System Settings).
- Click Sign in at the very top of the sidebar (it shows your name once you are signed in).
- Enter your Apple ID email and password, then the six-digit verification code that appears on your iPhone or another trusted device.
- Choose what to turn on — iCloud Drive, Photos, Messages, Find My. You can change every one of these later.
Do not have an Apple ID yet? On the sign-in screen click Create Apple ID and follow the prompts (name, birthday, an email you control, a phone number for two-factor). One Apple ID is all you ever need — resist making a second one, because a split account is the single most common reason Messages and iCloud "don't sync."
What "Sign in with Apple" actually is
Separate feature. When an app or website shows a black Sign in with Apple button, tapping it logs you in using the Apple ID already on your Mac — no new username, no new password, and Apple shares only your name and (optionally) a relay email instead of your real one. It is Apple's version of "log in with Google/Facebook," minus the tracking.
How to use it
- On the app or site's login screen, click Sign in with Apple.
- Confirm the name it will share, and choose Share My Email or Hide My Email.
- Authenticate with Touch ID (or your Mac password). That's the whole account — no password to remember.
If you pick Hide My Email, Apple creates a random forwarding address so the app never sees your real inbox. That relay is the same system covered in how to use Hide My Email on Mac — worth turning on for anything you don't fully trust.
See and manage every app you've signed into
Months later you'll want to know what you connected. It is all in one place:
- Open System Settings and click your name at the top.
- Choose Sign in with Apple (listed with your Apple ID options).
- You'll see a list of every app and site you used the button for. Click one to view details.
From here you can turn off email forwarding for an app, or Stop Using Apple ID to revoke it entirely — the next time you open that app it will ask you to sign in fresh, so only do this if you're done with the account.
Signing out or switching accounts
To sign the whole Mac out of your Apple ID: System Settings > your name > scroll to the bottom > Sign Out. macOS asks whether to keep a copy of your iCloud data on the Mac — say yes unless you're handing the machine to someone else. If you are selling or gifting it, signing out here is exactly what turns off Activation Lock, which is why a used Mac that still asks for someone else's Apple ID is a problem. We break that down in what an iCloud-locked MacBook is.
Common questions
Is "Sign in with Apple" the same as my Apple ID password?
No. Your Apple ID password logs you into Apple's own services. "Sign in with Apple" uses that identity to log you into third-party apps without giving them a password at all.
Can I use Sign in with Apple on a Windows PC or Android phone?
Yes — accounts you created with it work anywhere through appleid.apple.com, though the one-tap Touch ID convenience only happens on Apple devices.
What happens to my logins if I get a new Mac?
They follow your Apple ID, not the machine. Sign in to the same Apple ID on the new Mac and every "Sign in with Apple" account is already there. That portability is one reason a clean, unlocked used Mac is worth buying — pair it with a good password setup in Apple Passwords & iCloud Keychain, explained.
I forgot my Apple ID password. Now what?
Reset it at appleid.apple.com or in System Settings > your name > Sign-In & Security. This is different from your Mac login password — if that's what you've lost, follow how to reset a forgotten Mac password instead.
Want a Mac that's ready for your Apple ID out of the box?
Every Mac we sell is fully signed out, Activation-Lock-free, and warrantied — you unbox it, sign in with your own Apple ID, and everything just works. Have a look at current Apple clearance deals, with MacBook Airs from $450. Browse all our Mac guides for the rest of the setup.