When Apple added Discover My to macOS after which, not lengthy after, used {hardware} options to pair it with Activation Lock, your Mac didn’t change into much less in a position to be stolen–but it surely did change into price much less (if not nugatory) to criminals. Activation Lock prevents the straightforward erasure of a Mac for another person to reuse it until the get together erasing has an individual’s Apple ID password. With FileVault enabled, your Mac can’t be damaged into or reused. (Observe there’s a loophole: if somebody steals your iPhone or iPad passcode, they will reset your Apple ID password, as defined in this troubling Wall Avenue Journal article.)
In actual fact, Activation Lock works so nicely that there’s an enormous e-waste drawback that’s emerged from in any other case totally functioning Macs, as documented by iFixIt and others.
If you’re performing main system surgical procedure in your Mac, this may increasingly make you surprise: for those who create a brand new account and delete the one with Discover My enabled otherwise you totally erase your Mac, have you ever probably put Activation Lock right into a scenario in which you’ll be able to’t regain entry. It shouldn’t occur, however you possibly can alleviate issues by disabling Discover My earlier than you proceed (assuming your Mac isn’t unusably locked up and requires an erase and restore to get again to full working order).
Right here’s how one can disable Discover My in macOS Monterey and earlier:
- Go to > System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud (or > System Preferences > iCloud on older programs).
- Uncheck the Discover My field.
- When prompted, enter your Apple ID password.
In macOS Ventura (or later):
- Go to > System Settings > Account Identify > iCloud and click on Present All.
- Click on Discover My Mac.
- Click on the Flip Off button subsequent to Discover My Mac.
- Enter your Apple ID password and click on Proceed.
- You might be prompted to enter your account password as nicely.
When to disable Discover My:
- Earlier than creating a brand new account you propose to be your primary account. A primary account is one that you simply’ll usually log into in your Mac. You notably wish to disable Discover My for an account for those who then plan to delete that older account. Flip off Discover My whereas logged into the outdated account after which on for the brand new account. (You may’t have Discover My enabled on multiple macOS account on a machine directly.)
- Earlier than erasing your Mac to reinstall it from scratch. In case you don’t do that, you’ll be prompted if you try and if Discover My is on, however I choose lowering the variety of issues that may go fallacious. (In case your machine can’t be booted with out erasing it, you need to nonetheless be okay.)
- Earlier than promoting or donating your Mac. In case your Mac is headed off to a different particular person, you don’t wish to be logged into Discover My or your Apple ID account for iCloud or purchases in any respect. Disable Discover My, wipe the machine, and reinstall macOS earlier than handing it over.
This Mac 911 article is in response to a query submitted by Alokito Mymensingh 24 reader Sarah.
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