How to use your Apple Watch, Mac and iPhone to unlock each other

Apple has made the iPhone the center of your digital life, turning it into a kind of media, email, health and security hub. The Apple Watch is an even further distillation of truly personal technology. Apple relies on proximity and other cues to allow the Watch, iPhone, and Mac to unlock each other without requiring additional authentication.

You can unlock from one device to another in the following combinations.

Unlock your iPhone with Face ID using Apple Watch

Apple added a feature in iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 to help solve the problem of masks obscuring faces for proper Face ID recognition. U Settings > Face ID & Passcode, you can enable Unlock with Apple Watch. This only works with iPhones that have Face ID and you have Face ID active.

To use your watch to unlock your iPhone, you must have your watch passcode and wrist detection enabled; your watch must then be on your wrist and unlocked. (Use the passcode settings in the Watch app to add a passcode and turn on wrist detection.) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must also be enabled on both devices. Your watch and iPhone need to be within about 10 meters (33 feet), which is the standard distance listed for Bluetooth, but the range can vary – closer will work more reliably than further away.

Furthermore, your iPhone must fail Face ID unlock due to the face masks identified by iOS. Then, and only then, will your iPhone unlock via authentication from your watch. When it works, you’ll get a few vibrations via haptic feedback on your watch, and a banner will briefly appear on your iPhone. A lock button also instantly appears on your watch, which you can tap if you’ve accidentally unlocked your iPhone. If you tap Lock, you’ll need to use your passcode to unlock your iPhone the next time you do so.

Although there seem to be many conditions, I have seen it work consistently even when Face ID with a mask is also enabled in the Settings > Face ID & Passcode on my iPhone and Face ID doesn’t recognize me right away.

Unlock your Apple Watch from your iPhone

Alternatively, you can use your iPhone to unlock the watch. In the Watch app, go to Password and enable Unlock with iPhone. If you just put the watch on your wrist or it’s locked for some other reason, unlocking your nearby iPhone will also unlock your watch. Your iPhone briefly displays a banner with a lock button that you can tap to cancel the operation. If you don’t touch it, your watch is unlocked.

The feature appeared early with the Watch — so early that Apple didn’t document when it was first available. You can use it with any watch that works and an iPhone paired with it.

Unlock your Mac from your Apple Watch

In 2016, Apple updated macOS to allow you to unlock your computer with a nearby watch. It works with any watch model and most Mac models running macOS versions released since late 2016. Your watch and Mac must be signed in to the same Apple ID, and two-factor authentication must be enabled on your Apple ID account. (Apple sherlocked Knockapp that can use your iPhone or watch to unlock your Mac.)

Go System settings > Security and privacy > General and check “Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and Mac.” Enter your administrative password. macOS then communicates with your watch, which must be unlocked and on your wrist, and enables the feature.

In the upcoming macOS 13 Ventura, you may be prompted to turn on the unlock feature, as I did after enabling it on another Mac on my network that was still running macOS 12 Monterey. To enable this, go to System Settings > Tap ID & Password and enable the feature under Apple Watch.

The next time your Mac is locked, just being nearby while wearing the watch will unlock macOS. The usual disclaimers apply: it only works for unlocking, not logging in. You must enter your Mac account password after restarting, starting from shutdown, or logging in if you’ve logged out but not turned off the power.

This feature also lets you use your watch instead of entering an administrative password or using Touch ID on equipped Macs, or with Magic Keyboard with Touch ID on Apple silicon M-series Macs. Your watch will use haptics to get your attention, then ask you to double-click the side button to approve.

For security reasons, Apple does not allow you to unlock your Mac if its screen is shared.

Apple advises that you can check if this feature will work on your Mac: hold Option and select  > System Information and click Wi-Fi. Automatic Unlock appears as an item, and the app will show Supported if it’s running on your Mac.

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