FileVault
Fewer than 5 people recommend it so far, so there's no written verdict. Here is what commenters said.
2recommend
5warn against
Jan 21, 2026first mention
Aug 31, 2026latest mention
Why people recommend it
“They fixed unlock in the last release”
Caveats and dissent
“FileVault Full Disk Encryption (FDE) recovery keys are, by default, sent to Apple if the user requests them.”
“If you do that, those keys are NOT end-to-end encrypted.”
Show 2 more
“they store your filevault encryption key in your icloud keychain without telling you”
“Others report Filevault keys are also being backed to iCloud since September and they didn't tell anyone”
Often compared with
Threads where it came up
- MS confirms it will give the FBI your Windows PC data encryption key if asked 2 mentions
- Microsoft gave FBI set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects' laptops 2 mentions
- Apple caught off guard by AI demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio 1 mention
- Since Linux 6.9, LUKS suspend stopped wiping disk-encryption keys from memory 1 mention
- Microsoft BitLocker – YellowKey zero-day exploit 1 mention
- Root Persistence via macOS Recovery Mode Safari 1 mention
Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 11
> What makes you think that? Here's a leaked / rumor image of Apple servers themselves. https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/26/leaked-images-of-apple-ai-servers/
“FileVault Full Disk Encryption (FDE) recovery keys are, by default, sent to Apple if the user requests them.”
“the obvious thing that FileVault does”
> It's been on by default since around circa 2013 Wrong. It's not on by default. https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/324805/do-apple-laptops-use-filevault-encryption-by-default
“They fixed unlock in the last release”
“If you do that, those keys are NOT end-to-end encrypted.”
“they store your filevault encryption key in your icloud keychain without telling you”
“Others report Filevault keys are also being backed to iCloud since September and they didn't tell anyone”
“starting with macOS Tahoe, Filevault saves your recovery key to your iCloud Keychain”
“it's the default option for FileVault on a new Mac too”
“auto-enable FileVault after annual releases”