Mac Secure Token Missing Error — What It Means & How to Fix It

Fix macOS Secure Token missing error preventing user accounts from enabling FileVault, changing passwords, or accessing encrypted volumes. This guide covers everything you need to know about this topic, including common causes, step-by-step solutions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Here are the key things to understand: Secure Token is a macOS security feature required for FileVault encryption and certain admin operations. The first user created during macOS setup automatically receives a Secure Token. Additional user accounts may lack a Secure Token if created via command line or certain MDM workflows. Without a Secure Token, a user cannot enable FileVault, use certain password reset features, or authorize kernel extensions. Understanding these fundamentals will help you diagnose and resolve this issue more effectively.

The most common reasons this occurs include: User account was created via command line (sysadminctl or dscl) without granting a token. MDM enrollment created accounts without the Bootstrap Token being escrowed. Migration from an older macOS version that did not have the Secure Token concept. The only Secure Token holder's account was deleted, leaving no token-enabled users. Identifying the root cause is the first step toward finding the right solution.

To resolve this, follow these recommended steps: Check Secure Token status: sysadminctl -secureTokenStatus <username>. Grant a token from an existing token holder: sysadminctl -adminUser <tokenUser> -adminPassword - -secureTokenOn <targetUser> -password -. If no user has a token, boot into Recovery Mode > Terminal > resetpassword to reset the admin account. For MDM-managed Macs, escrow a Bootstrap Token: sudo profiles install -type bootstraptoken. If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider consulting additional resources or a qualified professional.

This article is part of our Mac Error Codes collection on Error Codes Wiki. We provide comprehensive, up-to-date information to help you find solutions quickly.