Apple Watch won't unlock your Mac? 6 fixes to try

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Wear the unlocked watch and stand close to the Mac. On the Mac, open System Settings, click Touch ID & Password (or Login Password), switch the Apple Watch setting off, restart the Mac and switch it on again. Both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and the same Apple Account.

Unlocking a Mac with the watch only works when a list of conditions is met at the same moment. If one is missing, the Mac silently asks for the password instead.

These steps are for recent versions of watchOS and the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.

Step by step

  1. Check the conditions

    The Mac and the watch must both have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched on. Both must use the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication. The watch must have a passcode, be on your wrist and be unlocked.

  2. Move closer

    The watch has to be very close to the Mac. Wake the Mac with the watch arm near the keyboard.

  3. Switch the setting off and on

    On the Mac, choose Apple menu, System Settings and click Touch ID & Password in the sidebar (Login Password on a Mac without Touch ID). Under Apple Watch, switch off the setting for your watch. Restart the Mac and switch it on again.

  4. Install updates on both

    Update macOS under System Settings, General, Software Update, and update the watch: how to update your Apple Watch.

  5. Switch off internet sharing and screen sharing

    Auto Unlock does not work while the Mac shares its internet connection or its screen. Both are off by default. Check under System Settings, General, Sharing.

  6. Enter the password once

    After a restart, and after the Mac has not been unlocked for a longer time, macOS always asks for the password first. The watch works again after that.

Good to know

How to set it up from the start: how to unlock a Mac or iPhone with an Apple Watch.

If the watch has lost its connection to the iPhone as well, fix that first: Apple Watch not pairing or connecting to iPhone: 7 fixes.

The fingerprint sensor is the other quick way in: Touch ID not working on a Mac: 7 fixes to try.

In short: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both, same Apple Account, passcode on the watch, stand close, setting off and on with a restart, updates, no sharing.

Sources
  • Apple Support: Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.