Are you the one asking how to create password protected folders on Mac? There may be several reasons to explain such desire. First and for most, every person has some secrets. For instance, you don’t want anybody to see your old pics. Or you need to keep your sensitive information (personal or business) safe and sound. If the folders remain unlocked and you leave the computer on, the chances someone would go through the information you would prefer no one sees are rather high. Thus, sometimes having only an admin password to launch the machine is not enough to guarantee the user’s privacy.
To tell the truth, it is not as easy as a walk in the park, so be ready to sweat a bit! With the help of your macOS X capabilities and simple magic, it is possible to get any folder on your Apple computer protected with a custom password.
The standard instruments available on Macs by default can generate the password-protected folder access. It means the file will only open after the user enters the symbols combination known only to him. Let’s have a look at a step-by-step guide to defending at least separate files.
How to Create a Password-Protected Disk Image
Ignoring the need to protect the digital version of the important files like credit card statements on your Mac is just as risky as waving around a printout of your W-2 document in public. Make sure to turn all your files secure before it’s too late!
So far, protecting your data by creating the disk image of a folder on your Apple device is the most secure approach. Yes, it might take a while in contrast to how simple and fast it would be to protect the entire folder. But the level of protection is worth the effort. Anyway, with these tips, you may achieve a certain level of privacy for things people around should not see.
- Launch Disk Utility.
- Create a disk image with the help of File à New Image à Image from Folder. Another way is to use a shortcut ⇧+⌘+N.
- Select the folder you would like to protect/lock. Then, pick the encryption type “128-bit AES encryption” and Image Format “read-only.“
- Remove the source folder once the image was created.
In this way, the one who decides to open the protected folder will have to type a password in order to mount the target image.
Related post: How to Clean Junk Files on Mac
Are There Other Methods to Lock Folders on Mac?
You may ask why Disk Utility is the top recommended option. Well, of course, you can try some free or paid third-party tools, but Disk Utility is a free option always available on every Mac. Even though it may lack some functions, it is way better than doing nothing to protect your private data.
If you need an advanced tool to encrypt or lock personal files, Disk Utility won’t be able to meet your expectations. In case a user is searching for something bare bones, he or she will most probably stay okay with Disk Utility. Besides, it is free, so you lose nothing.
If you decide to use a third-party application, they all work pretty much the same: just drag-and-drop the files you want to encrypt into the chosen software and watch them being transferred to a protected file library. Sometimes, it may take a while. It all depends on the app you select.
As far as the criminals have become more sophisticated than ever, every Mac user should know at least this way to protect folders with private information. Some people may argue that they would never show a valuable information to a stranger, but they should not exclude the possibility of losing their device or leaving it unattended.