Reader question: protect text file under macOS with a password

With Pages from Apple, every text document can also be protected with a password. Since Pages runs on iCloud, it works on a Mac as well as an iPad or iPhone.

Today a reader asked me if there was a way to protect a text on the iPad or under macOS (on his MacBook) from strangers' eyes. It doesn't have to be a high security standard or encrypted, but it should be a simple way of preventing someone from accidentally coming across the document and viewing the text. There were no high demands on the word processing. A simple text document would be sufficient.

With Pages from Apple, any text document can also be protected with a password. There
Pages running via iCloud, it works on Mac as well as iPad or iPhone.” width=”841″ height=”320″ /> With Pages from Apple, each text document can also be protected with a password. Since Pages runs on iCloud, it works on both Mac and iPad or iPhone.

Pages allows password protection

I myself had not dealt with the topic before and therefore had to go to Google myself first. I came across a solution, which is quite complicated: You put the text file in a virtual volume that you encrypt. This works and probably also offers a high level of security thanks to the 128-bit encryption, but it prevents the file from being opened and edited quickly, as you always have to mount the volume first. So keep looking ...

I came across the simplest solution you could wish for: Open a new document with Apple's own word processing program “Pages” and then go to “Set Password” in the “File” menu. In the following dialog you will be asked twice to enter the password and an optional reminder. Once this is done, you can edit and save the document.

If you now close the document and reopen it, you will be asked for the password, without which you cannot see the content of the text.

You can enter the password for the document in the "File" menu and then in the "Set password" menu item.
You can enter the password for the document in the “File” menu and then in the menu item “Set password”.

Password protection also possible with Numbers

Incidentally, the procedure described above not only works with Pages but is also available under Numbers and certainly available in Keynote as well. It's so easy to protect your text from prying eyes. ;-)

 

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In the Sir Apfelot Blog you will find advice, instructions and reviews on Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini and Mac Studio.