How to Turn FileVault On or Off on a Mac (and What the Recovery Key Is)

FileVault is full-disk encryption for your Mac — when it’s on, your files are scrambled until someone signs in with a valid password or recovery key.

Why: Without FileVault, anyone who removes your drive or boots from another disk can read your files. With it on, the data is useless without the key. On Macs with Apple silicon or a T2 chip the drive is already encrypted at the hardware level; turning FileVault on adds the requirement that a password unlock that key at startup.

Fix 1: Turn FileVault on

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
2. Scroll down and click FileVault.
3. Click Turn On next to FileVault (enter your password if prompted).
4. Choose how you’ll be able to unlock the disk if you forget your login password:
   • Allow my iCloud account to unlock my disk — convenient; Apple can help you reset via your Apple Account.
   • Create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud account — you get a string of letters and numbers to keep yourself.
5. If you chose a recovery key, write it down exactly and store it somewhere safe — not on the Mac you’re encrypting.
6. Click Continue. Encryption runs in the background; you can keep using the Mac.

Fix 2: Turn FileVault off

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
2. Scroll down and click FileVault.
3. Click Turn Off next to FileVault.
4. Click Turn Off Encryption to confirm (enter your password if prompted).

Decryption then runs in the background. It can take a while on a large or nearly full drive; leave the Mac plugged in until it finishes.

Fix 3: Find or check your recovery key

If you chose a recovery key (or want to confirm what’s stored), check before you ever need it:

• On a Mac signed in to iCloud, your FileVault recovery key may be viewable in the Passwords app — open Passwords, then look under the FileVault Recovery Key entry.
• If you chose iCloud account unlocking instead, there’s no separate key to find — you reset through your Apple Account at the login screen.

FAQ

What happens if I forget both my password and my recovery key? You’re permanently locked out of that data. Apple cannot decrypt it for you — the design has no back door. Keep the recovery key safe.

Does FileVault slow down my Mac? On modern Macs the encryption is handled in hardware, so the day-to-day impact is negligible.

Do I need FileVault if I have Apple silicon? The drive is already encrypted, but the data isn’t tied to your password until FileVault is on. Turning it on is what stops someone from reading the disk without signing in.

Sources: Protect data on your Mac with FileVault — Apple Support · Turn off FileVault on Mac — Apple Support