Macbook is disabled? Which lock it is, and the way back

A PIN field: the Mac was locked with Find My

What it means. Apple’s page on startup screens: a Mac might ask for a PIN code when it has been locked remotely with Find My because its owner thinks it is lost or stolen. The code has four or six digits.

Which Mac asks for what. When a Mac with Apple silicon is marked as lost, Apple says it is locked with the Apple Account password; an Intel-based Mac without a T2 security chip can be locked with a passcode instead. To turn Lost Mode off on the Mac itself, the Find My User Guide for macOS 27 gives the Apple Account password on a Mac with Apple silicon and, on an Intel-based Mac, the passcode set when it was marked as lost.

A forgotten passcode. Sign in at iCloud.com/find, choose the Mac from the Devices menu, select Unlock and follow the steps to verify your identity; Apple says the passcode can be looked up for a limited time. Apple’s list for a Mac that cannot be unlocked also includes taking it to an Apple Authorized Service Provider with the proof of purchase.

For the lock to work. Apple: to lock or erase a Mac remotely, the Mac must be powered on and connected to the internet.

Activation Lock: someone else’s Apple Account

What it does. With Activation Lock, Apple says the Apple Account password or the device passcode is needed before anyone can turn off Find My, erase the Mac, or reactivate and use it. On a Mac that meets Apple’s requirements, it stays on as long as Find My is on: Apple silicon or the T2 chip, macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, the default startup security settings, and two-factor authentication.

On a second-hand Mac. If a previously owned Mac asks for someone else’s Apple Account, Apple says the previous owner may need to remove Activation Lock. Apple’s Activation Lock article gives the owner two ways: turning off Find My Mac in System Settings or, if the Mac is offline, removing it at iCloud.com/find; on a second-hand Mac, by our reading, these fall to the previous owner. If you need help and have proof of purchase, Apple says you can start an Activation Lock support request.

When it is the Apple Account that is disabled

A different lock. Apple’s page on locked accounts: an Apple Account can lock automatically for security, which might happen when its password or other account information was entered incorrectly too many times; then you cannot sign in to any Apple service. To regain access, Apple says, reset the Apple Account password.

Locked or not active. With that message, Apple says you might be able to request access by tapping Request Access in the alert. If access cannot be regained, Apple gives a new Apple Account or, for help removing Activation Lock with proof of purchase, an Activation Lock support request. A disabled Media & Purchases account is separate again: you might be able to request reactivation with Continue in the alert.

A Mac from work or school

The administrator’s lock. Microsoft’s documentation for Intune describes the remote lock from the administrator’s side: the administrator sets a six-digit recovery PIN, shown on the device overview pane for up to 30 days or until another device action is sent, and not retrievable afterwards; Microsoft’s note on it speaks of macOS devices.

Who has the PIN. By our reading of Microsoft’s page, which is written for administrators, a Mac locked this way has its code with the organisation’s IT, not in iCloud.

Other screens that look like a lock

A lock icon at startup. Apple: on a Mac using a firmware password, a lock icon appears when it is started from another disk or volume, such as macOS Recovery; entering the firmware password continues the startup.

A drawing of a mouse or keyboard. A line drawing of a Magic Mouse or Magic Keyboard with an arrow next to the power switch means, Apple says, that the Mac cannot detect a built-in or external mouse, trackpad or keyboard.

A blank screen. An empty grey, black or blue screen is on Apple’s list of screens where a Mac can stop during startup, with an article of its own; it is not one of the locks above.