Hey MacYou can password-protect a folder on Mac by putting its contents in an encrypted disk image with Disk Utility. You open the image with a password, work with its files in Finder, then eject it when you finish. Disk Utility comes with macOS, so you do not need to install another app.
This is useful for a small collection of private documents on a Mac you sometimes share. The important part is what happens after you create the image: the original folder is still there, and the encrypted copy remains readable while it is mounted.
Choose what you want to protect
| Your goal | Start with | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Keep a collection of files behind a separate password | An encrypted disk image. | Eject it after use and account for copies elsewhere. |
| Let someone use your Mac without your personal session | A separate user account. | They need to use their own session. |
| Ask for verification before showing an app | An app locker. | A window shield does not encrypt the app’s files. |
If your concern is someone opening Messages or Safari while your account is already unlocked, use the Mac app-locking guide. For a folder of documents, continue with encryption.
Before you start
Keep a backup of the files. For your first attempt, use a folder containing a few disposable documents so you can learn the opening and ejecting steps without risking your only copy.
Choose a password you can keep safely. If you forget the image’s password and have no saved way to unlock it, creating another image will not recover the files inside the old one. If the Mac offers to remember the password in Keychain, consider who can access your unlocked user account before accepting.
Create an encrypted image from your folder
- Open Disk Utility with Spotlight or from Applications → Utilities.
- In its menu bar, choose File → New Image → Image from Folder.
- Select the folder you want to copy into the image.
- Give the image a name and choose where to save it. Use a location outside the source folder.
- Choose an encryption option in the Encryption menu, then set and confirm the password.
- Choose an image format that fits the job: read-only for an archive, or an editable format when you need to change files.
- Save the image and let Disk Utility finish.
Image-format labels differ by macOS release. Some versions show read/write; newer documentation also lists RAW Image for an editable image. Check the format description in your version rather than selecting an unfamiliar option just because its name looks similar.
Apple’s Disk Utility image guide covers folder images and blank encrypted images. A blank image is another option if you want to choose its size first and copy files into it afterward.
Open it, check it, and eject it
Double-click the saved image in Finder and unlock it. The mounted volume appears like a small drive in the Finder sidebar. Open several files from that volume and check that the contents you need are present.
When you finish, close documents opened from the volume and click its eject control in Finder. Closing the Finder window alone leaves the volume mounted. If Finder says the volume is in use, save your work and close the application using those files before trying again.
Reopen the image after ejecting it. Confirm that the password behavior matches your choice about Keychain. Do this before you depend on the image for private material.
Deal with the original folder separately
The image contains a copy. Your original documents, exported PDFs, Downloads folder, attachments, backups, and cloud copies can still exist outside it.
Keep the original until you have verified the image and a backup. After that, decide which extra copies you intend to retain. Emptying Trash is a separate, destructive action, so review it carefully. Ordinary deletion should not be presented as a guarantee of secure erasure, especially when snapshots, backups, or synced copies exist.
Why Finder’s Locked checkbox is different
A file’s Locked checkbox helps prevent accidental changes. It does not ask for a new password before someone reads the document. Renaming a folder or hiding it from the usual view also does not encrypt its contents.
FileVault protects your startup disk in a different situation. An encrypted image gives you a separate container to open and close within your own session. Neither is a reason to leave your Mac unlocked around people you do not trust.
Questions about password-protected folders
Can I put a password directly on an ordinary Finder folder?
The built-in workflow here creates an encrypted image containing the folder’s files. Keep track of which copy you are opening; the original Finder folder does not gain the image’s password.
Can I change the files later?
Choose an editable image format, then save your changes inside the mounted volume. A read-only image is suited to an archive; it will not behave like an editable folder.
Does locking Notes or Photos do the same thing?
Those apps have their own privacy controls. See locking individual notes or protecting Photos for their scope. Hey Mac’s App Lock shields an application view; it does not create an encrypted folder.
About this guide
Harshit Maurya develops Hey Mac. Reviewed November 9, 2026 against Apple’s Disk Utility documentation. Menu names can vary by macOS version; no recovery or secure-erasure guarantee is claimed.