FileVault encrypts everything on your Mac's drive. Without your password or the recovery key nobody can reach your files. That is good for your privacy, but awkward if you forget your password and the Mac asks for a recovery key you no longer know. This article explains where your Mac's recovery key may be, which other ways in there are and what happens if it is truly lost.
Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam. We cannot bypass FileVault, and nobody else can either; that is why it is important to keep your key safe.
What is the recovery key?
When you turned on FileVault, you chose how the drive can be unlocked if you forget your password: with your Apple Account, or with a recovery key. The recovery key is a long code of letters and numbers, in groups, such as ABCD-EFGH-1234-... You saw it only once.
Where might your key be?
- On a note or in a document you made at the time.
- In a password manager, if you saved it there.
- For a work Mac: with the IT department, if the Mac is managed via MDM.
- In a screenshot or photo on your phone.
Other ways in
- Your password: calmly try passwords you used before. Mind Caps Lock and the keyboard layout.
- Another user: if another user on the Mac has FileVault access, they can unlock the drive.
- Your Apple Account: if you chose unlocking with your Apple Account at setup, the Mac offers after a few wrong attempts to reset your password with your Apple Account.
Also see forgot your Mac password.
If the key is truly lost
If you do not know your password, do not have the recovery key and the Apple Account option does not work, the data on the drive can no longer be read. That is exactly what FileVault is for. You can still erase the Mac and reinstall via Recovery mode, so you can use it again. You then restore your files from a backup, if you have one. See resetting to factory settings.
Note: if Find My is on, you need your Apple Account password after erasing to activate the Mac.
Can a repairer help?
Not to bypass FileVault. A repairer can help if the problem is not the password but the hardware, for example a Mac that will not start. Then the encrypted drive stays intact and you simply log in after the repair. See MacBook data recovery.
Securing your key now
If you can still log in, make sure you do not get stuck later:
- Go to System Settings, Privacy and Security, FileVault and see how your Mac can be unlocked.
- If you want a new recovery key, you can create one in Terminal with
sudo fdesetup changerecovery -personal. Write down the new key and keep it somewhere safe, not on the Mac itself. - Keep your key, for example, in a password manager or on paper with your important documents.
Also see passwords on your Mac.
Make backups
With a good backup, a forgotten password is annoying but not a disaster. See backing up.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We help with hardware problems so you can log in again, and with setting up your Mac again if it has to be erased. More on our page about MacBook repair in Amsterdam.
Frequently asked questions
Can Apple look up my recovery key?
Only if you chose unlocking with your Apple Account at setup. Apple does not keep a separate recovery key.
Is FileVault on on my Mac?
Check System Settings, Privacy and Security, FileVault. On newer Macs it is often on by default.
Should I turn off FileVault for a repair?
No. Leave it on; your data stays protected.
