How to protect your MacBook from theft

Before anything happens

These settings take a few minutes and matter most if your Mac is ever taken. Most of them are already on for many people, so treat this as a check.

• Turn on Find My MacSystem Settings → your name → iCloud, then Find My Mac. On Apple silicon Macs this also turns on Activation Lock, so a stolen Mac can't be erased and set up again without your Apple Account.
• Turn on FileVaultSystem Settings → Privacy & Security → FileVault. It encrypts the disk, so your files stay unreadable without your password.
• Ask for your password straight awaySystem Settings → Lock Screen. Set the password to be required immediately after the screen saver starts or the display turns off.
• Learn the lock shortcutControl-Command-Q locks the screen instantly. Make it a habit every time you stand up.
• Back upTime Machine or iCloud Drive means losing the Mac doesn't mean losing your work.
• Write down the serial numberFind it in System Settings → General → About. Police and insurers will ask for it.

In cafés, libraries, and coworking spaces

Most laptop thefts in public places are opportunistic. Someone notices a MacBook left alone for a minute and walks off with it. The aim is to make your Mac a worse target than the next one.

• Keep it in sight, or take it with youEven a short trip to the counter is enough time for a grab.
• Lock the screen when you stand upControl-Command-Q, every time.
• Use an alarm for short breaksAn alarm that sounds when the Mac is moved or used draws attention to a thief at the worst moment for them. MacGuard does this on Apple silicon MacBooks, and only Touch ID or your password turns it off.
• Don't leave it in a car or an open bagA closed Mac in a visible bag is still worth taking.

If your Mac is stolen

1. Open Find My on another device or at icloud.com/find and select the Mac.
2. Mark it as lost. This locks the Mac and lets you show a message with a way to contact you.
3. If you won't get it back, erase it remotely. Activation Lock stays on after an erase.
4. Report the theft to the police, with the serial number.
5. Change your important passwords, starting with your Apple Account and email.
6. Contact your insurer if the Mac is covered.

If you use the MacGuard iPhone app, the alert and any photos from the alarm are in Alert History. Cloud alerts and photos are deleted automatically after about 30 days.

How the layers fit together

No single tool covers everything. FileVault protects your data. Find My and Activation Lock help you recover the Mac or make it worthless to a thief. An alarm like MacGuard works earlier, at the moment someone touches the Mac, which is when you have the best chance of keeping it.