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How to unlock your Mac with Apple Watch (Step by step guide)
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Convenience and intuitive ease of use are some of the prime benefits of owning multiple Apple devices. A small yet significant example of this is the ability to use your Apple Watch to unlock a Mac. This happens when you are very close to your Mac and eliminates the need to enter your password.
However, several aspects must be considered, so let’s learn how to set up your Apple Watch Auto Unlock on Mac.
What to do before using your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac
- Apple Watch should be passcode protected.
- Mac and Apple Watch must be using the same Apple ID.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth should be enabled on both Mac and Watch.
- Two-factor authentication must be enabled for your iCloud account.
How to set up your Apple Watch Auto Unlock on Mac
The Auto Unlock feature is available on every Mac released after mid-2013. Depending on your macOS, you can follow the steps below to activate the feature.
- Click on the Apple logo in the menu bar.
- Click System Settings.
- Scroll down and click Touch ID & Password.
- Under the Apple Watch section, toggle on the switch next to your Apple Watch’s name.
You may not see this feature if your Apple Watch is not on the same Apple ID.
How to use Apple Watch to unlock your Mac
After you enable Auto Unlock on your Mac, you’ll be able to unlock your device the moment you bring your Apple Watch physically closer. So, whenever necessary, just drag your Watch closer, and you’re good to go.
Please note that your Mac will not recognize you and will not auto-unlock if the Apple Watch is not on your wrist and locked.
Also, since the feature is available only on watchOS 7 or later, I’d recommend updating your watchOS to the latest version.
Open sesame…
As you can see, unlocking your Mac using Apple Watch is pretty straightforward. Just make sure that you follow all the criteria mentioned at the start of this post.
However, if you face trouble while unlocking your Mac, you can check our article on Apple Watch not unlocking your Mac.
FAQs
How can I unlock my iPhone with my Apple Watch?
To learn how to unlock your iPhone with an Apple Watch, you can refer to our article and follow the given steps.
How close does the Apple Watch have to be to unlock the Mac?
Though Apple has not issued an official comment, when I attempted unlocking my Mac with my Apple Watch, I was able to accomplish the operation efficiently from a maximum distance of 48 inches, or 1.22 meters.
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