Forgot your Hikvision NVR password? Start at Forget Password on the recorder's login screen. Hikvision offers self-service resets through your Hik-Connect account, a reserved email, security questions or a saved GUID file. Failing those, you can export a reset request for Hikvision support. Which methods you see depends on what you set up beforehand and on the device's firmware. Most of them need the Hik-Connect phone app or the recorder's own screen, not a Mac app. Once you're back in, HikGrid (our app), a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras, just needs the new password.
Updated November 2026.
The official reset methods at a glance
| Method | What you need already | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Hik-Connect account verification | The device was added to your Hik-Connect (or Hik-Partner Pro) account | Scan the QR code on the reset page with the phone app, then enter the code it shows |
| Reserved email | A reserved email address was set on the device | Scan the QR code with Hik-Connect; a code goes to that email, valid for 48 hours |
| Security questions | Security questions were set on the device | Answer one on the Forget Password page |
| GUID file | You exported and saved the GUID file earlier | Import the file on the Forget Password page |
| Hikvision support | The device is on the same network as you | Export an XML file, QR code or reset string, send it to Hikvision support with a photo of the device label, then enter the code or file they send back |
| Installer reset | Your installer manages the system | Installers can reset through the Hik-Partner Pro app |
Source: Hikvision's how-to-reset-password guide. Hikvision notes that not all devices support all methods. HikGrid is independent and not affiliated with Hikvision or HiLook.
Where to start
Go to the recorder's login screen, either on a monitor plugged into the NVR or on its web page in a browser, and choose Forget Password. Hikvision says to check there which methods your product supports (Hikvision). On a Mac, the monitor plugged into the recorder is often the easiest place, because the QR code methods show the code on screen for your phone to scan.
Method 1: reset through your Hik-Connect account
Hikvision recommends this one where it is available, calling it simpler and more convenient (Hikvision). It works if the recorder is already added to your Hik-Connect account.
- On the Forget Password page, choose Verify by Hik-Connect App.
- Sign in to the Hik-Connect account the device is tied to, and scan the QR code on the screen.
- The app shows a verification code. Enter it on the recorder.
- Create a new password.
These steps come from Hikvision's reset guide.
Method 2: reserved email
- On the Forget Password page, choose the reserved email option. A QR code appears.
- In the Hik-Connect app, open Reset Device Password. Hikvision's guide places it under Me, or under Applications > Basic Tool, depending on the app version. Scan the code.
- A verification code goes to the reserved email address. It is valid for 48 hours, and rebooting the device or changing the reserved email invalidates it.
- Enter the code on the recorder and set a new password.
Source: Hikvision, reset password by reserved email. Hikvision's leaflet on self-service reset lists NVR firmware V4.21.000 and above, and Hik-Connect V3.5.4 and above (Hikvision PDF).
Methods 3 and 4: security questions or a GUID file
If you set security questions when you activated the device, pick one on the Forget Password page, answer it, and create a new password. If you exported a GUID file, choose GUID File Verification and import it. Both only help if you prepared them before you were locked out.
Method 5: export a reset request for Hikvision support
When none of the self-service routes work, Hikvision's guide says to export the device's XML file, QR code or password reset string. You send it to the Hikvision support team with a photo of the device label, then enter the code or import the file they send back (Hikvision). The device must be detectable on the same local network.
On a Mac this is the awkward one, because the export is usually done in Hikvision's SADP tool. The Mac version Hikvision last listed is V1.0.0.4 from 2022, and it is Intel-only. Hikvision's tools page has since listed SADP for Windows only. A Windows PC on the same network is the straightforward route. See SADP tool on Mac.
Avoid unofficial reset tools
Searches for a Hikvision password reset turn up "reset code generators", modified firmware and paid unlock services. They don't come from Hikvision, and you would be handing your security system to a stranger. Use the routes above, your installer, or Hikvision support.
Set it up now so it never happens again
- Add the recorder to your Hik-Connect account, which enables Method 1.
- Set a reserved email and security questions in the recorder's user settings.
- Export the GUID file and keep it somewhere safe, off the recorder.
- Store the admin password in a password manager, and create a separate lower-privilege user for everyday viewing.
After the reset: update your apps
Every app that logs in to the recorder needs the new password: iVMS-4200, the Hik-Connect device entry, any third-party software, and HikGrid. In HikGrid (our app), edit the recorder's connection and enter the new password. HikGrid stores Hik-Connect sign-ins and recorder passwords in the macOS Keychain, and sends them only to Hikvision or to the recorder, never to HikGrid's servers. HikGrid gives you live view, playback, recording search and footage download, natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Your recorder password stays in your Mac's Keychain. HikGrid (our app) gives you live view, playback, recording search and footage download in one native macOS window. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs (macOS 13 Ventura or later), connects to several Hikvision and HiLook systems at once, and costs £39.95 one-time per Mac, with new features included and no subscription.
HikGrid is an independent app. It is not made by, affiliated with or endorsed by Hikvision.
FAQ
How do I reset a Hikvision NVR password without Hik-Connect?
Use security questions or a GUID file if you set them up beforehand. The reserved email method still uses the Hik-Connect app to scan the QR code, but the code itself goes to your email. If none of those are available, export a reset request and send it to Hikvision support with a photo of the device label.
Can I reset a Hikvision password from a Mac?
Partly. Security questions and the GUID file work on the Forget Password page, and the QR code methods need the Hik-Connect phone app. The support export usually uses SADP, whose Mac version is old and Intel-only, so a Windows PC on the same network is easier for that step.
How long is the Hikvision reset code valid?
Hikvision says a reserved-email verification code is valid for 48 hours, and becomes invalid if you reboot the device or change the reserved email address.
Where is Reset Device Password in the Hik-Connect app?
Hikvision's guide places it under Me, or under Applications and then Basic Tool, depending on the app version. Older guides show it under More.
Do I need to change anything in HikGrid after a password reset?
Yes. Edit the recorder's connection in HikGrid and enter the new password. HikGrid keeps recorder passwords in the macOS Keychain and sends them only to the recorder or Hikvision.
Sources
- Hikvision: How to reset password
- Hikvision (Australia): How to reset password, including installers
- Hikvision: reset via exported XML file or QR code
- Hikvision: resetting the password of a DVR or NVR (2025)
- Hikvision: Reset password by reserved email (2025)
- Hikvision: How to do self-service password reset on the DVR/NVR GUI (PDF)
- SecurityCamCenter: Reset Hikvision password
- HikGrid