How to: Enable a user to unlock a disk encrypted by FileVault on your Mac


Instructions

  1. Open System Preferences.

  2. Click Security & Privacy.

    MacBook System Preferences page with Security and Privacy Highlighted

  3. In the bottom left-hand corner, click the lock icon.

    Security and Privacy with Lock highlighted in bottom left hand corner highlighted Click the lock to make changes

  4. Authenticate using Touch ID.

    System Preferences is trying to unlock security and Privacy preferences Touch ID or enter your password to allow this "Use Password..." option and cancel option

    Alternatively, you may type a username and password with administrative privileges on your Mac. Then, click Unlock.

    Screen after selecting use password option with some admin in username field Password field with cancel option and unlock option

  5. Under the FileVault tab, click Enable Users.

    In filevault page with the Enable users option highlighted

  6. To unlock the disk, you may need to enter a username and password and click Unlock.

    Username and password field with cancel and unlock option

  7. Next to the user account that you wish to enable for unlocking the disk, click the Enable User button.

    Each user must type in their password before they will be able to unlock the disk Some user admin Enable user option on the right

  8. Ask the user to type their own password. After that, click OK.

    Some user admin Entering this account allows this user to decrypt all files on the startup disk Password field cancel option and OK option

  9. A green circle with a check mark will appear next to their account indicating that it's been enabled. You may then click Done.

    Each user must type in their password before they will be able to unlock the disk Some user admin check mark on the right done option in bottom right

Outcome

The user account has been granted access to unlock the encrypted disk.