Mac Security · High-Risk Users & Lockdown Mode · Lesson 1 of 5

Lockdown Mode on the Mac

Apple's strongest optional shield, who needs it and what it switches off.

Who it's for and turning it on

You met Privacy & Security in System Settings earlier. Near the bottom of that page is a setting most people never need: Lockdown Mode.

Lockdown Mode is an extreme, optional protection. It switches off parts of your Mac that attackers could use to break in. Apple built it for the very few people who may be personally targeted by highly advanced attacks.

Think of journalists, human rights workers, activists, some lawyers and some government staff. Most people are never targeted this way. For everyday safety, updates, strong passwords and care with links matter far more.

Here is what Lockdown Mode limits on a Mac:

• Messages: most kinds of attachments are blocked, except certain images, video and audio. Links and link previews don't work.
• Web browsing: some complex web features are blocked. Some sites may load slowly, look a little different, or not work right.
• FaceTime: incoming calls are blocked unless you called that person in the past 30 days.
• Apple services: invitations, such as Home app invites, are blocked unless you invited that person before. Shared albums are removed from Photos.
• Accessories: a Mac laptop with Apple silicon (Apple's own chips, such as M1 or later) must be unlocked, and you must approve a new accessory before it connects.
• Configuration profiles: a configuration profile is a file that changes many settings at once. You can't install one.

To turn it on, open the Apple menu and choose System Settings. Click Privacy & Security, scroll down to Lockdown Mode and click Turn On. Confirm, enter your password if asked, then click Turn On & Restart.

Each limit closes a door that advanced attackers have used before. The trade is a little convenience for a lot of protection.

On the practice computer, read what Lockdown Mode changes, turn it on and restart. Then open the browser, find the Lockdown Mode note, and see where you could exclude a trusted website.

Trusted sites and daily life

Lockdown Mode protects you by saying no to a lot. Sometimes a site you really need, like your bank or your work portal, stops working well. You can make an exception for just that site.

When Lockdown Mode is on, Safari shows a banner that says Lockdown Mode is on. That reminds you some web features are switched off on purpose.

To exclude a website means to let that one site skip the protection. To do it in Safari on a Mac:

1. Open the website in Safari. Type the address yourself so you know it's the real site.
2. From the Safari menu at the top of the screen, choose Settings for that website.
3. Deselect the Enable Lockdown Mode checkbox.

To include the site again, follow the same steps and select the box again.

Keep the list of excluded sites short. Each exception is one small door left open. Only exclude sites you trust and use often, never a site someone sent you in a message.

A few more things to know:

• Turn on Lockdown Mode on each device you want protected. Turning it on for your iPhone doesn't turn it on for your Mac.
• Keep installing updates. Lockdown Mode closes doors, and updates fix the locks.
• To turn it off, go back to Privacy & Security, click Lockdown Mode and turn it off. The Mac restarts again.

Some things you may miss: SharePlay and Live Photos in FaceTime, Game Center, and shared albums in Photos. You can still view shared albums on a device without Lockdown Mode.

For someone who might be a target, these trade-offs are worth it. For everyone else, normal security habits are enough.