{"id":12204,"date":"2023-10-12T10:06:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T10:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/"},"modified":"2023-10-16T07:26:58","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T07:26:58","slug":"how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Send Encrypted Emails From Your Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/#Procuring_a_Free_Email_Encryption_Certificate_For_Your_Email_Address\" title=\"Procuring a Free Email Encryption Certificate For Your Email Address\">Procuring a Free Email Encryption Certificate For Your Email Address<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/#Process_of_Installing_The_Free_Email_Certificate_On_Your_Mac\" title=\"Process of Installing The Free Email Certificate On Your Mac\">Process of Installing The Free Email Certificate On Your Mac<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/#Verification_of_Certificate_Installation_In_Keychain\" title=\"Verification of Certificate Installation In Keychain\">Verification of Certificate Installation In Keychain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/#Method_to_Send_Encrypted_Emails_From_The_Mail_App_On_Your_Mac\" title=\"Method to Send Encrypted Emails From The Mail App On Your Mac\">Method to Send Encrypted Emails From The Mail App On Your Mac<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/#What_it_means_to_send_an_Unencrypted_Email_from_your_Mac\" title=\"What it means to send an Unencrypted Email from your Mac\">What it means to send an Unencrypted Email from your Mac<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/#Removing_the_Email_Encryption_Certificate_from_your_Mac\" title=\"Removing the Email Encryption Certificate from your Mac\">Removing the Email Encryption Certificate from your Mac<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/how-to-send-encrypted-emails-from-your-mac\/#FAQs_About_Sending_Encrypted_Emails_From_Mac\" title=\"FAQ&#8217;s About Sending Encrypted Emails From Mac\">FAQ&#8217;s About Sending Encrypted Emails From Mac<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>In today&#8217;s digital era, exchanging emails can usually be considered a safe matter, with service providers implementing their own sets of securities to protect your incoming and outgoing mails. However, not all email services may provide you with the option of email encryption. Encryption for your emails is an added layer of security that can come in handy for anyone looking to further secure their valuable email interactions.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re a Mac user, then you would be glad to know that you can use the stock email application of your device to send encrypted emails.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/send-encrypted-emails-mac-featured.png\" alt=\"Illustration of emails being sent from a laptop \"><\/p>\n<p>The inbuilt Mail application on your Mac offers the feature that enables you to encrypt your emails before they are sent out. This whole encryption process requires an email certificate to be installed on your Mac device, which can be availed from any of the online service providers out there. Some service providers even offer this service free of cost.<\/p>\n<p>Once the set up is complete, you can send encrypted emails from your Mac&#8217;s mail app. The content of these emails will be encrypted, which means that even if someone manages to gain access to these emails, they will only see scrambled text that would make no sense.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Procuring_a_Free_Email_Encryption_Certificate_For_Your_Email_Address\"><\/span>Procuring a Free Email Encryption Certificate For Your Email Address<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first step to start encrypting your emails on your Mac is to acquire an email encryption certificate. This certificate will be used to authenticate the emails that you send from your Mac&#8217;s mail app.<\/p>\n<p>There are a host of online providers that you can choose from for the certificate, however, the provider mentioned below offers the certificate free of cost for personal emails.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open a web browser and navigate to the Actalis website. Once you reach the website, look for the link that reads Free S\/MIME certificates and click on it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/get-free-email-certificate.png\" alt=\"Certificate request web forms \"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A form to request a certificate will show up. Fill up this form with your personal information. Enter your email address in the Email field and click on the Send Verification Email button.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/apply-email-certificate.png\" alt=\"Free Email Certificate form \"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You will receive an email containing a code. Make a copy of this code.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/verification-code.png\" alt=\"Code in email \"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Revisit the form page and paste the copied code into the Verification code field. Next, enter the captcha, check the required boxes, and click on Submit Request at the bottom.<\/li>\n<li>On the following screen, you will see a password for your certificate. It is important to note it down because it will not appear again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/certificate-password.png\" alt=\"Password display screen \"><\/p>\n<p>Upon your application submission, you will receive an email with your certificate attached in a little while.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Process_of_Installing_The_Free_Email_Certificate_On_Your_Mac\"><\/span>Process of Installing The Free Email Certificate On Your Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>After you receive the certificate via email, it should be installed in the Keychain application on your device. This will enable you to use it in the Mail app to send encrypted mails from your Mac.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Download the attached certificate .zip file from the email and extract its contents to your Mac.<\/li>\n<li>Double-click the extracted certificate file to start installing it on your device.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/open-email-certificate.jpg\" alt=\"Email certificate file on Desktop \"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You will be prompted to enter the password for the certificate. Enter the password that you noted down during the application process. Then hit OK to continue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/install-email-certificate.png\" alt=\"Enter password prompt\"><\/p>\n<p>Upon completion, the certificate will be added to the app. However, you will not receive any notifications for it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Verification_of_Certificate_Installation_In_Keychain\"><\/span>Verification of Certificate Installation In Keychain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you want to validate if the certificate has been successfully installed, you can do so by opening Keychain and viewing your certificate.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Click on Launchpad, search for Keychain Access, and open it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/open-keychain-access.png\" alt=\"Keychain Access in Space Bar \"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Select My Certificates option from the left sidebar to view all your installed certificates.<\/li>\n<li>You will be able to see your newly installed email certificate in the pane to the right.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/view-installed-certificate.png\" alt=\"List of My Certificates \"><\/p>\n<p>If your certificate is listed, it indicates the successful installation of the certificate on your Mac.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_to_Send_Encrypted_Emails_From_The_Mail_App_On_Your_Mac\"><\/span>Method to Send Encrypted Emails From The Mail App On Your Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Having ensured the successful installation of the certificate, you are now equipped to send out encrypted emails from your Mac device. This process does not require any further configuration. All you have to do is draft a new email and send it out.<\/p>\n<p>It is advised that you close the Mail app, in case it is already open, before proceeding with the following steps.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the Mail app by your preferred method on your device.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/open-mail.png\" alt=\"Mail in Search Bar \"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To draft a new encrypted email, click on the File menu at the top and select the New Message option.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/new-email.jpg\"> New Message&#8221; &gt;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You will be presented with a new email composer window. Fill in the recipient&#8217;s email address in the To field, the subject of your email, and the body of the email. Before you hit the send button, click on the checkmark icon to ensure it turns blue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/signed-email.png\" alt=\"Blue checkbox in email window \"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You have now digitally signed your email, which will be sent off to your recipient. Following this exchange, you can actually send encrypted emails. Return to the new email compose window and enter all required fields. Then click on the padlock icon next to the Subject field. It will turn blue. You can then send out your email.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/send-encrypted-email.png\" alt=\"Padlock and blue checkbox in email window \"><\/p>\n<p>The email that you just drafted will be encrypted using your certificate before being sent out to the recipient.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_it_means_to_send_an_Unencrypted_Email_from_your_Mac\"><\/span>What it means to send an Unencrypted Email from your Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The installation of the email encryption certificate on your device doesn&#8217;t necessitate that all your emails have to be encrypted. You can still send and receive standard emails.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Compose a new email and ensure the padlock and check-mark icons are not enabled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/send-regular-email.png\" alt=\"Unencrypted and non-certified email \"><\/p>\n<p>Your email will then be sent as a regular email with no encryption applied to it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Removing_the_Email_Encryption_Certificate_from_your_Mac\"><\/span>Removing the Email Encryption Certificate from your Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If, for any reason, you decide against the use of the certificate or wish to replace it with a new one, you might want to remove it from your Mac device.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Launch the Keychain app.<\/li>\n<li>Locate your certificate as done in one of the above sections.<\/li>\n<li>Right-click on your certificate and select Delete.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.switchingtomac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/delete-email-certificate.png\" alt=\"Right-click delete certificate menu \"><\/p>\n<p>Following these steps will ensure you can no longer send encrypted emails from your Mac.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs_About_Sending_Encrypted_Emails_From_Mac\"><\/span>FAQ&#8217;s About Sending Encrypted Emails From Mac<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h4>Q1: What is the purpose of email encryption?<\/h4>\n<p>A: Email encryption serves as an added layer of security to protect sensitive information transmitted via email from being accessed by unauthorized users.<\/p>\n<h4>Q2: Does the recipient also need to install the same certificate to decrypt my encrypted emails?<\/h4>\n<p>A: Yes, the recipient also needs to have the corresponding certificate installed to be able to decrypt and read the encrypted emails.<\/p>\n<h4>Q3: How can I verify that my emails are being sent encrypted?<\/h4>\n<p>A: Checking for the blue checkmark icon and padlock icon in the compose window ensures that your email is being sent encrypted.<\/p>\n<h4>Q4: How can I send unencrypted mails from my Mac?<\/h4>\n<p>A: Composing a new email without enabling the padlock and check-mark icons will send the email without encryption.<\/p>\n<h4>Q5: How can I remove an installed certificate from my Mac?<\/h4>\n<p>A: An installed certificate can be removed by launching the Keychain app, locating the certificate, right-clicking on it, and selecting the Delete option.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In today&#8217;s digital era, exchanging emails can usually be considered a safe matter, with service providers implementing their own sets of securities to protect your incoming and outgoing mails. However, not all email services may provide you with the option of email encryption. Encryption for your emails is an added layer of security that can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mac-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12204"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12289,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12204\/revisions\/12289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iseepassword.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}