However, when you’re optimistic about it working all the time, there are times when it may just not work at all. If you’re a part of the crowd experiencing this issue, there are ways to fix it. Here’s a list of solutions to fix your Mac when it doesn’t unlock using the Apple Watch.
1. Check if Your Mac and Apple Watch Are Supported
1. Check if Your Mac and Apple Watch Are Supported
If you’re trying to enable the Unlock with Apple Watch feature on your iPhone, but it doesn’t show up in your System Settings on Mac, you should check if you’ve got compatible devices. Here are the minimum requirements that you would need for this feature to work on your Mac.
You should have an Apple Watch Series 3 or newer running watchOS 7.4 and above. A mid-2013 Mac or the latest Mac is running macOS Sierra and above. You must enable WiFi and Bluetooth on your Mac and Apple Watch. You must sign in with the same Apple ID on your Mac and Apple Watch. The login password must be set on your Mac, and enable Passcode on your Apple Watch. Mac and Apple Watch must be closer to each other.
Once you’ve checked all these requirements and still can’t unlock your Apple Watch with Mac, follow the next troubleshooting steps.
2. Toggle Auto Unlock with Apple Watch
2. Toggle Auto Unlock with Apple Watch
The feature that lets you unlock your Mac with Apple Watch is Auto Unlock. First, troubleshoot this option to see if it fixes the issue. Here’s how you can toggle the Auto Unlock feature on your Mac.
3. Reset Network Settings on Mac and Apple Watch
3. Reset Network Settings on Mac and Apple Watch
The Auto Unlock feature requires an active WiFi and Bluetooth connection. You can try resetting your radio connections, like Bluetooth and WiFi, on your Mac and Apple Watch to see if it fixes your issue. You can follow these instructions to reset the network settings on your Mac and Apple Watch.
On Your Mac
On Your Apple Watch
4. Turn Off the Automatic Login Option
4. Turn Off the Automatic Login Option
If you’ve turned on the Automatic Login option that allows you to log in to your Mac automatically without entering the password, you should turn it off. It disables the option to enter the password when logging in, which you’ll require to unlock the Mac with your Apple Watch. Here’s how you can turn off Automatic Login on your Mac.
5. Turn Off the Internet and Screen Sharing Options on Your Mac
5. Turn Off the Internet and Screen Sharing Options on Your Mac
The Internet and Screen Sharing options on your Mac can interfere with the Auto Unlock feature. Therefore, it’s best to turn them off on your Mac. Here’s how you can do that.
6. Update Your Mac and Apple Watch to the Latest Version
6. Update Your Mac and Apple Watch to the Latest Version
The Mac runs on macOS, and the Apple Watch runs on watchOS; both of them may have bugs once in a while. You might be facing a bug with the Unlock with Apple Watch feature. Apple fixes bugs like these with the latest updates. So, updating your Mac and Apple Watch is best to see if the bug got fixed. Here’s how to check and update your Mac and Apple Watch to the latest version.
Updating Your Mac
Updating Your Apple Watch
7. Unpair and Re-Pair Your Apple Watch
7. Unpair and Re-Pair Your Apple Watch
If you tried everything and nothing worked for you, re-pairing your Apple Watch should be your last resort to fix the Apple Watch, not unlocking your Mac issue. Here’s how to unpair and pair your Apple Watch again.
8. Contact Apple Support
8. Contact Apple Support
If none of the troubleshooting solutions work for you, we suggest you take your Apple Watch and Mac to the nearest Apple Support. An underlying hardware issue might be causing this error if it isn’t working. The Apple Engineers will take your Apple Watch and Mac to diagnose and fix the problem in 3-5 days.
Final Words
Final Words
These were some of the best ways to fix your Apple Watch, not unlocking your Mac. We hope you’ll be able to fix the issue on your Mac and Apple Watch. If the Apple Support team also can’t fix the issue, they will replace your Mac or Apple Watch for free if it’s under warranty or the Apple Care+ plan. If you have any further queries about this problem, you can shoot them in the comments below, and we’ll try to answer them.
