Your Apple Watch can instantly unlock your Mac when it wakes from sleep. You need to be signed in to the same Apple Account on both your Mac and Apple Watch.
Your Mac needs to be a mid-2013 or later model with macOS 10.13 or later, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and your Apple Watch has to use a passcode.
Here’s how to unlock your Mac with Apple Watch.
Turn on Auto Unlock
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Make sure that your devices are set up as follows:
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You have a Mac (mid-2013 or later) with macOS 10.13 or later.
To find the model year of your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your computer screen, then choose About This Mac. The year your Mac was made is listed next to the model—for example, “MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018).”
- Your Mac has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
- Your Mac and Apple Watch are signed in to the same Apple Account, and your Apple Account has two-factor authentication turned on.
- Your Apple Watch is using a passcode.
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You have a Mac (mid-2013 or later) with macOS 10.13 or later.
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On your Mac, do one of the following:
- On macOS 13 or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings. Click Login Password.
- On macOS 12 or earlier: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, and click General.
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Select Use Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac.
If you have more than one Apple Watch, select the watches you want to use to unlock your apps and Mac.
If you don’t have two-factor authentication turned on for your Apple Account, follow the onscreen instructions, then try selecting the checkbox again.
Unlock your Mac
While you’re wearing your watch, wake up your Mac, and there’s no need to type in your password.
Quick tip: Keep Apple Watch on your wrist and unlocked, and stay near your Mac.
See also
