How to Password-Protect Folders/Files/Disks on Mac (Sequoia)

Do you have private data on your Mac/MacBook that you don’t want others to see? Worried about lending your Mac to someone or about others accessing your personal files while using it?

No worries! You can prevent privacy breaches by password-protecting folders on your Mac (Sequoia). In this article, you’ll learn five different ways to password-protect folders, files, or even an entire disk.

How to Password-Protect a Folder on Mac via Disk Utility

Mac’s built-in Disk Utility lets you password-protect folders. This method works for various folder types, including .zip and .pdf.

1. Open the File menu in Disk Utility and select New Image > Image from Folder.

   

2. Choose the files you want to protect and click the Choose button.
3. From the drop-down menu of Encryption, select 128-bit AES encryption (recommended) and create a password. For Image Format, choose read/write. Then choose where you want to save the file.
4. Click Save.
5. Once the disk image is created, click Done. You’ll find the encrypted disk image file at your selected location.

   

How to Password-Protect a Folder on Mac via Sharing & Permissions

You can also restrict folder access on your Mac by adjusting Sharing & Permissions. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the folder you want to protect and choose Get Info.
2. Under Sharing & Permissions, change the setting to Write Only (Drop Box).

   

If you can't edit Sharing & Permissions, it might be because iCloud is syncing your Desktop and Documents folders. You’ll need to turn off iCloud Desktop syncing.

Here’s how:

Go to System Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Drive , then turn off Desktop & Documents Folders.

How to Password-Protect a PDF File on Mac via Preview

Mac’s Preview app can also encrypt PDF files. Here’s how:

1. Open the PDF file using Preview.
2. Go to the File menu and select Export.
3. In the pop-up, click Permissions.
4. Check Require Password To Open Document, set a password, confirm the permissions, and enter the owner password > Apply.

Alternatively, go to File > Edit Permissions to configure the password settings.

How to Password-Protect a Folder on Mac via Terminal

You can also use Terminal to password-protect a .zip file. Here’s how:

Let’s say you want to encrypt test folder.zip located on your Desktop:

1. Open Terminal.

2. Run the command below in the Terminal.

   zip -e ~/Desktop/test\ folder-protected.zip ~/Desktop/test\ folder.zip

3. Enter and confirm your password.

4. A password-protected .zip file will be created on your desktop.

5. To open it, enter the password. (You can delete the original file if you want.)

How to Encrypt an Entire Disk on Mac Using FileVault

FileVault is a built-in macOS feature that encrypts your entire disk for complete data protection.

Here’s how:

1. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > FileVault.

   

2. Click Turn On, then enter your admin name and password.
3. Choose either Allow my iCloud account to unlock my disk or Create a recovery key and do not use my iCloud account.

   

4. If you choose the recovery key option, click Continue to receive the key.
5. Click Continue to start encrypting the disk.

Besides the above methods, there are also third-party apps available for folder encryption.

macOS Sequoia 15 also introduces the Passwords app. You can update your Mac to Sequoia to start using it for app-level encryption.

Pro Tip: How to Quickly Clean and Optimize Your Mac

In addition to password-protecting folders, you may sometimes want to permanently delete them for privacy reasons.

To securely delete files, try the Shredder feature in BuhoCleaner, a professional Mac cleaner that lets you safely erase files beyond recovery.

BuhoCleaner also keeps your Mac running at peak performance and monitors your system in real time. It’s a professional tool for Mac optimization.

Key features include:

• One-click cleanup to free up disk space
• Scan and clean duplicate, junk, and large files (including bulk .zip files)
• Completely uninstall apps without leftover files
• Manage startup items easily
• Analyze disk space usage in detail
• Real-time performance monitoring from the menu bar

Conclusion

Now you know how to password-protect folders on your Mac! Choose the method that suits you best. If you found this guide helpful, feel free to share it with others who might need it. We appreciate your support!