can't reset password

[jasondxe]

🛠️ How to Reset a Forgotten Jellyfin Admin Password on Debian

Hi 😊
If you've forgotten the admin password for your Jellyfin server running on Debian (or similar Linux distros), don't worry — there's a clean, safe way to reset it using SQLite3. This method doesn't require reconfiguring your whole library or reinstalling Jellyfin.

🔐 What This Does
This guide walks you through removing the password hash from your admin user, which lets you log in without a password and set a new one through the web interface.

✅ Prerequisites
Your Jellyfin server is installed natively on Debian, not in Docker.

You have sudo/SSH access to the machine.

🧰 Steps to Reset the Password
1. Stop the Jellyfin service
sudo systemctl stop jellyfin
2. Back up the Jellyfin database
Always back up before making changes:

cp /var/lib/jellyfin/data/jellyfin.db ~/jellyfin.db.bak
3. Install SQLite3 (if not already installed)
sudo apt update sudo apt install sqlite3
4. Open the Jellyfin database
sudo sqlite3 /var/lib/jellyfin/data/jellyfin.db
5. List all usernames
In the SQLite prompt:

SELECT Username FROM Users;
This will show a list of all user accounts.

6. Reset the password for a specific user
Still in the SQLite prompt, run:

UPDATE Users SET Password=NULL WHERE Username='YourUsername';
Replace 'YourUsername' with the actual username you want to reset (e.g., 'Jay', 'admin', etc.)

Exit SQLite:

.quit
7. Restart Jellyfin
sudo systemctl start jellyfin
8. Log in with No Password
Open your browser and go to:

http://<your-server-ip>:8096
Log in using the username whose password you reset — leave the password field blank. You’ll be able to access the dashboard.

Then go to:

Dashboard → Users → [Your Account] → Change Password

Set a new password, and you’re done!

🧯 Final Tips
This does not erase your libraries or settings — only resets the login password.

You can use this method for any Jellyfin user, not just admins.