How to Password Protect Mac Mail Easily and Effectively

Mail, also known as Apple Mail, is the primary email client for many Mac users. It does use privacy features to help protect your privacy. However, these features can't protect the Mail app itself. Anyone with temporary access to your Mac may still be able to snoop on your emails.

In this article, I will show you how to lock the Mail app on Mac with a password, whether you are using a MacBook, iMac, or another Mac model. I will also share some additional tips and methods.

 Cisdem AppCrypt

Password Protect Apple Mail

• Lock individual apps, such as Mail, with a password
• Automatically re-lock apps after a period of inactivity
• Record failed attempts to open locked apps and take pictures of intruders
• Block websites, keywords, and website categories (e.g., Social, News, Adult)
• Allow you to lock apps and block websites permanently or at scheduled times
• Easy to use
• Hard to bypass
• Help with privacy protection, productivity, and parental control
• Available for Mac, iPhone, Windows, and Android

Free Download Windows 10 or later Free Download macOS 10.15 or later GET IT ON Google Play Download on the App Store

How to password protect Mac's Mail app

You can easily put a password on Mac's Mail using Cisdem AppCrypt, an app locker and website blocker in one. (AppCrypt is also compatible with iPhone and iPad.)

Steps: How to lock Mail on Mac

1. Download and install AppCrypt.

Free Download macOS 10.15 or later

2. When you open this tool for the first time, set a password.

3. Click the lock icon in the top menu bar and choose Open Main Window.

4. Enter the password to access the tool's main window.

5. Click the Add button in the App Lock tab.

In the Applications folder that appears, select the Mail app, then click Open.

(Alternatively, you can add the app to lock using drag and drop.)

From now on, the Mail app on your Mac is protected with a password. If anyone tries to open it, the app won’t open, and a screen will show up asking for the password. You can go for a coffee break without worrying that someone may be reading your emails.

If the password entered is correct, Mail will be unlocked. If the password entered is wrong, Mail will remain protected, and AppCrypt will record the failed attempt, providing information like the time and date and a photo of the intruder.

If you want to remove the protection from Mail, just go to the tool's main window (which requires a password), select Mail, and then press the Delete key.

Tips: How to further enhance protection

• Make sure that you set a strong, hard-to-guess password, avoiding weak options like "123456", "abc123", or "password".
• Enable the Launch at system startup option in AppCrypt's Preferences window. This way, the lock will automatically start running as your Mac boots up.
• In the same Preferences window, enable the two options in the App Lock section. This way, Mail will be automatically re-locked when it has been unlocked and inactive for a while (e.g., 5 minutes), or when you are away from your Mac for some time.

Here's a video tutorial that covers these steps and tips.

Bonus steps: How to lock Mail on iPhone

1. Install AppCrypt from the App Store.

2. In the Preferences tab, tap Notifications and turn on the Notification option.

Then, create a password as prompted.

3. Tap the Add / Remove button in the App Lock tab.

4. Enter "mail" in the Search box, then select the Mail app in the search results. Tap Done.

From now on, if someone tries to open the Mail app on your iPhone, a screen will appear instead, saying that it's locked.

Additional ways to protect your privacy in Mail on Mac

In addition to protecting the app itself, there are still other ways to protect privacy for Mail.

How to password protect Mac Mail folder

Some users on a MacRumors forum mentioned the possibility to password protect Mail on Mac with the help of Disk Utility, a pre-installed app to perform disk related tasks. Does it help? Let’s find out.

There are two facts.

• It’s possible to use Disk Utility to put a password on a third-part app on Mac. However, Mac Mail is a built-in app.
• You can use Disk Utility to encrypt the Mail folder on your computer.

Below is how.

1. On your Mac, open Disk Utility.

2. From the menu bar, choose File > New Image > Image from Folder.

3. Select the Mail folder in the Library folder. Click Choose.

4. Click the Encryption dropdown menu and choose 128-bit AES encryption (recommended).

5. Set a password.

6. Click the Image Format dropdown menu and choose read/write.

7. Click Save.

8. Wait for Disk Utility to create a DMG file.

9. Go to the Library folder and delete the Mail folder.

Now the Mail folder is an encrypted DMG file.

Someone thought that encrypting the Mail folder would prevent Mac Mail app from being opened. It’s not true. You can still launch the app as usual. And opening the Mac Mail app will automatically create a new Mail folder in the Library folder. If your email account is logged in, one can easily view your emails in the opened Mail app.

If your purpose is to back up and encrypt your Mac Mail database, then the steps above can help. Just use Disk Utility to password protect the Mail folder.

Sign out of your email account(s)

1. Open the Mail app on your Mac. From the top menu bar, select Mail > Accounts.

2. In the Internet Accounts window, select your email account. Click the Delete account button at the bottom.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Continue to sign out of your email account. This will also wipe out all its data from Mail.

If there are multiple accounts, just repeat the last two steps. One has to sign out each time one leaves the computer idle. It’s not efficient at all.

Create a guest account for other users

To prevent other people from accessing your Mail and its data, you can password protect Apple Mail. You can also create a guest account for other users of your Mac.

If someone wants to use your computer, you can let him or her log in as a guest user. This way, other users can user your Mac with no access at all to your stuff including your Mail app data. In scenarios where other people need to access your files, the best solution is to password protect Mac Mail (and other important apps).

1. Go to System Settings > Users & Groups.

2. Click Add User. Then enter the password of your Mac. Click Unlock.

3. Next to New User, select Sharing Only.

4. Then enter the information for the guest account. Click Create User.

Password protect an email on Mac

To help protect privacy, you can encrypt an email before sending it. This way, only you and the recipient can read the email. Luckily, you can easily password protect an email in Mail on Mac with the help of PGP software GPG Suite.

1. Download and install GPG Suite.

2. Generate a key.

3. Create a new message in the Mail app.

4. Enter the recipient’s email address, the subject, and the content.

5. Click the black lock icon next to the subject to encrypt the email.

6. Click the Send button.

Here’s the more detailed instruction.

Turn on Mail Privacy Protection on Mac

macOS Monterey introduced a new privacy feature Mail Privacy Protection. The purpose is to prevent email senders from knowing your information such as IP address. To get it to work, you need to turn in on.

1. In Mail on Mac, go to the Mail menu.

2. Choose Preferences.

3. Under the Privacy tab, select the Protect Mail Activity checkbox.

Conclusion

Apple Mail has done a good job of protecting users privacy. But when it comes to preventing the Mail app from being accessed by other people, there isn’t a built-in solution. Luckily, there are third party tools to password lock Mail on Mac with utmost safety and reliability. Once protected, other people can’t view access your Mailboxes and read your emails.