macOS Sequoia 15
macOS Sonoma 14
macOS Ventura 13
macOS Monterey 12
macOS Big Sur 11.0
macOS Catalina 10.15
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Table of Contents
Mac User Guide
- Welcome
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- MacBook Air
- MacBook Pro
- iMac
- Mac mini
- Mac Studio
- Mac Pro
- What’s new in macOS Sonoma
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- Work on the desktop
- What’s in the menu bar?
- Quickly change settings
- What’s in the Apple menu?
- Search with Spotlight
- Use Siri
- Get notifications
- Open apps from the Dock
- Organise your files in the Finder
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- Connect to the Internet
- Sign in to your Apple Account
- Set up iCloud
- Browse the web
- Preview a file
- Take a screenshot
- Change your display’s brightness
- Adjust the volume
- Use trackpad and mouse gestures
- Use Touch ID
- Print documents
- Keyboard shortcuts
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- Apps on your Mac
- Open apps
- Work with app windows
- Tile app windows
- Use apps in full screen
- Use apps in Split View
- Use Stage Manager
- Get apps from the App Store
- Install and reinstall apps from the App Store
- Install and uninstall other apps
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- Create and work with documents
- Open documents
- Mark up files
- Combine files into a PDF
- Organise files on your desktop
- Organise files with folders
- Tag files and folders
- Back up files
- Restore files
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- Change System Settings
- Choose your desktop picture
- Add and customise widgets
- Use a screen saver
- Add a user or group
- Add your email and other accounts
- Automate tasks with Shortcuts
- Create Memoji
- Change your login picture
- Change the system language
- Increase the size of what’s on your screen
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- How to use Siri
- Customise Siri
- What are Siri Suggestions?
- Use Siri results
- Add Siri Shortcuts
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- Set up a Focus to stay on task
- Block pop-ups in Safari
- Use Dictation
- Perform quick actions with hot corners
- Send emails
- Send text messages
- Make a FaceTime call
- Edit photos and videos
- Use Live Text to interact with text in a photo
- Start a Quick Note
- Get directions
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- Intro to Continuity
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Control your iPhone from your Mac
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video and audio with AirPlay
- Make and receive calls and text messages on your Mac
- Use your iPhone internet connection with your Mac
- Share your Wi-Fi password with another device
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Insert sketches, photos and scans from iPhone or iPad
- Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
- Use your iPad as a second display
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Sync music, books and more between devices
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- Manage Apple Account settings
- Set your Apple Account picture
- What is iCloud?
- What is iCloud+?
- Store files in iCloud Drive
- Share and collaborate on files and folders
- Manage iCloud storage
- Use iCloud Photos
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- Get started with Screen Time
- Set up Screen Time for yourself
- Set up Screen Time for a child
- Track app and device usage
- Set time limits for apps and websites
- Set up content and privacy restrictions
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- Set up Family Sharing
- Get Family Sharing recommendations
- Add family members to a Family Sharing group
- Remove family members from a Family Sharing group
- Manage sharing and parental settings
- Share a Photo Library
- Collaborate on projects
- Find content shared with you
- Find your family and friends
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- Play music
- Watch and listen together with SharePlay
- Listen to podcasts
- Watch TV shows and movies
- Read and listen to books
- Read the news
- Track stocks and the market
- Play games with your friends
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- Apple Music
- Apple TV+
- Apple Arcade
- Apple News+
- Apple Podcasts
- Manage subscriptions in the App Store
- View your family subscriptions
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- Connect an external display
- Use the built-in camera
- Connect a wireless accessory
- Connect a printer to your Mac
- Connect AirPods to your Mac
- Optimise your Mac battery life
- Optimise storage space
- Burn CDs and DVDs
- Control accessories in your home
- Use Windows on your Mac
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- Get started
- Vision
- Hearing
- Mobility
- Speech
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- Control what you share
- Set up your Mac to be secure
- Allow apps to see the location of your Mac
- Use Private Browsing
- Keep your data safe
- Understand passwords
- Change weak or compromised passwords
- Keep your Apple Account secure
- Use Mail Privacy Protection
- Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites
- Find a missing device
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- Shut down or restart your Mac
- Start up your Mac in safe mode
- Keep your Mac up to date
- Reinstall macOS
- Erase your Mac
- Resources for your Mac
- Resources for your Apple devices
- Copyright
If you have a Mac with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip, your data is encrypted automatically. Turning on FileVault provides an extra layer of security by keeping someone from decrypting or getting access to your data without entering your login password. If you use a Mac that doesn’t have Apple silicon or the T2 chip, you need to turn on FileVault to encrypt your data.
To set up FileVault, you must be an administrator. When you turn on FileVault, you choose how you want to unlock your startup disk if you ever forget your password:
iCloud account and password: This choice is convenient if you use iCloud or plan to set it up — you don’t need to keep track of a separate recovery key.
Recovery key: The key is a string of letters and numbers that’s created for you — keep a copy of the key somewhere other than your encrypted startup disk. If you write the key down, make sure you copy the letters and numbers shown exactly. Then keep the key somewhere safe that you’ll remember — but not in the same physical location as your Mac, where it can be discovered. If your Mac is at a business or school, your institution can also set a recovery key to unlock it.
WARNING: Don’t forget your recovery key. If you turn on FileVault and then forget your login password and can’t reset it, and you also forget your recovery key, you won’t be able to log in, and your files and settings will be lost forever.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
in the sidebar, then click FileVault. (You may need to scroll down.)Click Turn On.
You might be asked to enter your password.
Choose how to unlock your disk and reset your login password if you forget it:
iCloud account: Click “Allow my iCloud account to unlock my disk” if you already use iCloud. Click “Set up my iCloud account to reset my password” if you don’t already use iCloud.
Recovery key: Click “Create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud account”. Write down the recovery key and keep it in a safe place.
Click Continue.
If your Mac has additional users, their information is also encrypted. Users unlock the encrypted disk with their login password.
If there’s an Enable Users button, you must enter a user’s login password before they can unlock the encrypted disk. Click Enable Users, select a user, enter the login password, click OK, then click Continue.
See alsoHow does FileVault work on a Mac?Turn off FileVault on Mac
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