hi! im new to the whole mac world and boy there is a lot to learn! soi just got my m3 last september and i just want to know if it's okay turn my file vault off? i don't really much have personal informations on this mac but only school works.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 15.0
I would think that FileVault is overkill for school homework. If you set up your Mac so that it doesn't automatically log in when you turn the power on, that would go a long way towards keeping someone from getting at your data.
Still, it's your choice as to whether to use FileVault or not.
Protect data on your Mac with FileVault - Apple Support
"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."
I would also advise you to make backups of your Mac. It's never a good idea to have all of your data all in a single basket – and with recent Macs, if there is a hardware failure, there will be no possibility of "pulling the drive" from your dead notebook in order to recover data. The SSD is soldered in, and the contents of the SSD are encrypted with keys held in the Apple Silicon chip, whether you are using FileVault or not.
I would think that FileVault is overkill for school homework. If you set up your Mac so that it doesn't automatically log in when you turn the power on, that would go a long way towards keeping someone from getting at your data.
Still, it's your choice as to whether to use FileVault or not.
Protect data on your Mac with FileVault - Apple Support
"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."
I would also advise you to make backups of your Mac. It's never a good idea to have all of your data all in a single basket – and with recent Macs, if there is a hardware failure, there will be no possibility of "pulling the drive" from your dead notebook in order to recover data. The SSD is soldered in, and the contents of the SSD are encrypted with keys held in the Apple Silicon chip, whether you are using FileVault or not.
FileVault is the security protection for the files on your Mac. If you disable it, it’ll be vulnerable to hackers, spyware, and other things you don’t want on your Mac. It’s best to keep it enabled, as it keeps your Mac secure. Even if it’s just schoolwork files, it’s best to keep them safe and secure.
reason why i turned it off it's because after i enter my passcode (after booting up) it has this flicker screen that turns black and i think it has to do with the file vault that's why i disable it and turns out it was because of the file vault and it got rid of the flicker and the progress bar
A bigger security threat might be someone stealing the whole laptop while your back is turned. Newer Macs have support for the anti-theft deterrent Activation Lock, but some thieves might steal your notebook thinking that they had made a "big score", only to throw it in the trash later once they discovered Activation Lock.
alright, thanks for enlightening me! gotta turn it back on
Is it safe to turn off FileVault on my MacBook Air?
