Oliver Matuschin

Q: Login using Apple Watch not working

I cannot activate the functionality to log in using the Apple Watch. When I check the checkbox I only get a message stating that I needed to activate the 2 factor authentication. But it is already activated. Is someone else also experiencing this issue?

 

Thanks
Oli

iMac

Posted on Sep 20, 2016 2:57 PM

Close

Q: Login using Apple Watch not working

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Sep 20, 2016 2:59 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin
    Level 9 (56,418 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 2:59 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin

    What model iMac do you have?

  • by Oliver Matuschin,

    Oliver Matuschin Oliver Matuschin Sep 20, 2016 3:01 PM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 3:01 PM in response to KiltedTim

    It's an iMac Retina 5K 27" (ultimo 2014 – as "About this Mac" tells me know )

  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Sep 20, 2016 3:04 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin
    Level 9 (56,418 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 3:04 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin

    There is a difference between 2 step authentication and 2 factor authentication. Make sure you have 2 factor enabled, not 2 step.

  • by Oliver Matuschin,

    Oliver Matuschin Oliver Matuschin Sep 20, 2016 3:07 PM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 3:07 PM in response to KiltedTim

    What's the difference? When I log in to appleid.apple.com I see that "two step verification" is activated. There is no option for two factor authentication. How do I activate it?

  • by Oliver Matuschin,Solvedanswer

    Oliver Matuschin Oliver Matuschin Sep 20, 2016 3:55 PM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 3:55 PM in response to KiltedTim

    Ok, after some research I found out what the difference is. But unfortunately it seems as if the 2 factor authentication is not yet available in Germany (or at least my region?)... dang.

    I even disabled the 2 step verification to see if the 2 factor authentication option would appear, but it didn't. Instead I had to setup all my devices again for iMessage and Facetime

    Highly frustrating that Apple is advertising this feature even though it is not possible to use it in all regions of the world, even if the hardware is supported.

  • by Kengilroy,

    Kengilroy Kengilroy Sep 20, 2016 6:06 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Apple Watch
    Sep 20, 2016 6:06 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin

    I'm in the US and I have 2 factor authentication and while I see when I tap on my keyboard, it is trying to login with my Apple Watch, but it fails and I have to type my password.

    Any suggestions?

  • by N!m,

    N!m N!m Sep 20, 2016 6:09 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Sep 20, 2016 6:09 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin

    2-factor (if it's available to you) is available in the iCloud sys prefs (on your Mac and iPhone, under your account details, then security).

  • by Joseph Delaney,Helpful

    Joseph Delaney Joseph Delaney Sep 20, 2016 11:47 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin
    Level 3 (853 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 11:47 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin

    You won't find the 'two-factor' option on the AppleId web site  - this confused me for a while too.

     

    To turn on the newer "two factor" authentication, go the iCloud system preference on your mac, click "account details" then "security". You can also do it on your phone in relatively the same place.

     

    But then it still might not work. When I finally got two-factor turned on, the option to use the watch to unlock the mac disappeared. There's some trick to getting it to come back, but that part I haven't figured out yet (some people suggest rebooting all devices, some suggest logging out of icloud on the mac and logging back in). My guess is that it just takes some time for all the pieces to sync back up.

  • by danielchow,

    danielchow danielchow Sep 20, 2016 7:09 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin
    Level 1 (99 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 7:09 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin

    I also have the same confusion. What is or are the differences between two-factor authentication and two-step verification?

     

    I also do not see anything to allow me to turn on two-factor authentication after I have turned off two-step verification.

     

    Why is it required to turn off two-step verification in order to turn on two-factor authentication when there is nothing on Apple help site providing instructions for two-factor authentication? This is like a recursive error, and it is very confusing.

     

    Screen Shot 2016-09-20 at 9.55.26 PM.png

    Screen Shot 2016-09-20 at 10.01.47 PM.png

  • by danielchow,

    danielchow danielchow Sep 20, 2016 7:15 PM in response to danielchow
    Level 1 (99 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 7:15 PM in response to danielchow

    Screen Shot 2016-09-20 at 10.13.06 PM.png

  • by Oliver Matuschin,

    Oliver Matuschin Oliver Matuschin Sep 20, 2016 11:12 PM in response to Joseph Delaney
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 11:12 PM in response to Joseph Delaney

    I tried this already, but there it also just says "2 step verification is turned on". But thanks anyhow for the tip!

  • by Oliver Matuschin,

    Oliver Matuschin Oliver Matuschin Sep 20, 2016 11:16 PM in response to danielchow
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 11:16 PM in response to danielchow

    I found a website which explained the difference. Two step and two factor authentication are almost the same. Two factor authentication is newer than two step and apparently uses a 6 digit verification code instead of 4. Also, with two factor authentication the application specific passwords are no longer available. Instead, one has to add a 6 digit code at the end of one's iCloud password. But still I don't see how to enable it.

     

    http://blog.elcomsoft.com/2016/04/apple-two-factor-authentication-vs-two-step-ve rification/

     

    On the website it states: "At this time, two-factor authentication availability is still limited to some regions; the method will roll out slowly to all regions."

     

    So I guess that it is not yet available in my region or country. Or it is just not working.

  • by rmannel,

    rmannel rmannel Sep 20, 2016 11:41 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 11:41 PM in response to Oliver Matuschin

    In my case, restarting the watch made it work.

  • by Oliver Matuschin,

    Oliver Matuschin Oliver Matuschin Sep 20, 2016 11:46 PM in response to danielchow
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 20, 2016 11:46 PM in response to danielchow

    Ok, I finally figured it out! I went to the appleid.apple.com website and there I disabled the two step verification. Afterwards, I went to the iCloud system preferences on my Mac, and there to the account details > security preferences. And there it finally was – the option to turn on two factor authentication. I don't know why you have to turn off two step verification first, and why the two factor authentication is not available on the appleid website. This is just confusion. Incredible!

Page 1 Next