As a Mac user, you’ve just received a drive from your friend, but you find out that you cannot open it due to the fact that it is Bitlocker-encrypted. In other words, your drive is locked unless you have the correct password. You ask your friend for a password, but nothing works. You realize that your Mac does not support BitLocker natively.
There are a lot of programs online that allow Mac users to open BitLocker-enabled drives. However, they usually cost quite a bit and sometimes don’t work for everyone. With that in mind, we recommend you try UUByte BitLocker Geeker, reliable software for reading BitLocker encrypted hard drives or USB sticks on Mac. We tried it and worked like a charm.
This guide includes our step-by-step guide on how to open BitLocker Drive on Mac. Before we get started, there are a couple of things you need to know about BitLocker.
First, what is BitLocker?
BitLocker is a handy encryption program that comes pre-installed in Windows 10 Pro. It allows Windows 10 users to secure their entire drive or USB stick with password protection, thus preventing unauthorized changes to your system.
The main point of Bitlocker is that it supports all macOS versions, including the latest Big Sur. However, it has its own flaw, which is the fact that it is not available for computers running Windows 10 Home Edition.
Does BitLocker work for Mac?
The answer is No. BitLocker drive encryption does not work on macOS platform natively. This is because there is no official BitLocker for the Mac version, which is a little bit disappointing. This means you cannot open a Bitlocker-encrypted drive or USB flash drive on your Mac.
However, the good news is that with the help of UUByte BitLocker Geeker, BitLocker is now compatible with macOS.
How to Open BitLocker Drive on your Mac
In this guide, we are going to use UUByte BitLocker Geeker to open a BitLocker-encrypted drive on a Mac. The process is pretty simple and works for all macOS versions. Here is how.
Step 1: Download UUByte BitLocker Geeker on your Mac. The program is now available for free download.
Step 2: Once the download is complete, install it on your computer (you will be asked to provide your username and password to set up the program)
Step 3: Now grant full disk access to UUByte BitLocker Geeker. If you now have a macOS Catalina or higher, you need to enable full disk access permission for the program, so it can access your disk’s data and decrypt it.
To do this, open System Preferences on your Mac, then click on Security & Privacy option. After that, click the lock icon at the bottom left corner of the panel. From here, select Full Disk Access and check the box next to BitLocker Geeker.
Step 4: Insert the BitLocker-encrypted USB drive into your Mac (some Macs don’t have a built-in optical drive. In this case, you need to use an external drive)
Step 5: Click Ignore if you see the warning message. After that, mount the BitLocker drive you inserted into your Mac earlier. To do this, select the external disk from the list of drives in the main user interface and then enter the BitLocker password.
Step 6: Hit the Mount button and the program will start decrypting your inserted drive. Once it is done, you should see a pop-up window that shows all files and folders within the BitLocker drive.
Step 7: Once you are done, unmount the drive. To do this, open BitLocker Geeker and perform a right-click on the drive. From the pull-down menu, select Unmount.
The Bottom Line
If you are a Mac user who frequently works with BitLocker files, then it’s a good idea to stick to a third-party BitLocker reader. There are tons of them out there if you do some googling, but BitLocker Geeker is our top recommendation as it is fast, safe, and works for all macOS versions.
The main point is that it is now free for download. However, that’s the free trial version, which means you need to purchase the full software when your trial expires. The free version comes with all premium features, giving you a glimpse of the software before committing to paying for it.