With the goal that no one can use your Mac in the event that it is stolen or lost somewhere, Apple includes a tremendously useful Activation Lock. In this article we explain how to activate it as well as everything you need to know about its operation.
What is locking a Mac
In the event that you lose your computer or in the worst case it is stolen, the first concern you may have is that no one can use it. That is why the operating system includes an activation lock system that can be activated automatically from any device. At this time the computer is completely useless and it will be necessary to enter the Apple ID credentials to be able to use it. Once it is active when the computer is formatted this lock is not removed in any case. When it is started again to carry out the initial configuration, the user and password must be entered in order to use it. This fact increases the chances that the Mac can be recovered by the owner.
This is something very important to keep in mind when making a purchase of a second-hand Mac. In the event that it is stolen when you start it, you can find a block of this type that makes it impossible to start. That is why it should always be taken into account that the sale of Mac must be done in person and make a first configuration with the seller to deactivate this lock or simply to return it if it is stolen.
Requirements for the lock to work
In order to have Activation Lock active on a Mac, a series of requirements must be met. It should be remembered that this lock goes a little beyond deactivation by iCloud. For example, you must have an Apple T2 security chip installed that houses part of the boot system and that in no case can be formatted. This guarantees that this sensitive information such as the activation lock cannot be manipulated in any case, not even by Apple itself.
As for the associated Apple account, it must have the double factor function active to guarantee the maximum possible security. Added to this is the need to have Secure Boot active with its default settings. With this, great emphasis should be placed on not having the option to boot from other external devices active. In this way, it is guaranteed that no one can start the computer with a pendrive with malicious software.
Turn on the lock on a Mac and how to tell it’s on
Activating the lock on a Mac is extremely simple, since you simply have to configure the ‘Search’ application as soon as you configure a new computer. This is done as follows:
- Access the system preferences.
- Enter the ‘Security and privacy’ section.
- Choose the ‘Privacy’ tab.
- Open the padlock in the lower left corner.
- Select ‘Location’ and check the box next to the phrase ‘Activate location services’.
- Click on ‘Details’, next to the system services section.
- Check the box corresponding to ‘Find my Mac’
- Return to the main window of system preferences.
- Go to Apple ID and then iCloud and select the box next to ‘Find my Mac’.
Once activated, you can check if the activation block is activated by following these steps:
- Scroll down to the ‘About this Mac’ section found by clicking on the Apple menu in the upper left corner.
- Click on system report.
- In the ‘Hardware’ section, in the ‘Activation lock status’ tab you can see if it is active or deactivated.
Turn off Activation Lock on Mac
As we have said before, if you want to sell a Mac, send it to repair or simply give it away, you must always disable this lock. To do so, you simply have to follow the following steps:
- Access the system preferences.
- Click on the ‘Apple ID’ section.
- Enter the ‘iCloud’ tab.
- Find the option ‘Find my Mac’ marked with a radar and uncheck the box.
- Close the session when the confirmation window appears.
