filevaultd requesting admin approval multiple times per day

From an admin user account, you will need to make sure your Standard user is selected to unlock FileVault. Otherwise you will definitely be prompted to unlock FileVault.

For most people using an admin account is not a problem because it is just as safe as the Standard user account. Anything that would be risky in an admin account will have macOS prompt you for your permission and your admin password to authorize things. If you decline, then it behaves the same as a Standard user account....although it seems the Standard user is also sometimes prompted for an admin password.

Standard user accounts are generally for other people you "trust" to use your computer, but don't want them to actually modify any system wide settings. "Guest" accounts are another option for when someone may need to quickly use your computer which has even more limitations than a Standard user account including having any files they save deleted once their session ends. Guest user account needs to be manually enabled as it is off by default.

I used to do this when I first got a Mac but two things have happened over time to change my mind and now I use an admin account. Firstly, MacOS has got much more secure so the security risk of installing something dodgy or by mistake has reduced significantly. Secondly, as you've found, part of these improvements in security is that Admin privileges are required for some operations which, in the bad ol' days, wouldn't have been the case.

Nathan_A42 wrote:

MacBook Pro, macOS 26.6.2 (25G83)

After working on my new MacBook for a couple of weeks, I decided that my usual user account doesn't actually need admin access, so I decided to reduce its permissions to that of a standard user.

I did this by creating a new admin account, logging in as the admin user, then reducing my user account to standard. Now I'm back in my standard user account. Frequently (multiple times per day) I get a request from filevaultd for admin approval.

Anybody know why this happens or how to fix it?

Seems interesting logic...(?) I would not recommend this change.

If you are the only user, your original admin account is what is the most trouble free/practical default.

I see no advantage in complicating the situation.

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