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Your Apple Watch must be signed in to iCloud to allow it to unlock your Mac

Hi all,

After upgrade to Big Sur I can't add my Apple Watch S3 to unlock my Mac. Try to sign out and unpair my Watches but it didn't help. All devices are in the sale iCloud. Any suggestions?

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Dec 30, 2020 11:30 AM

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Question marked as Apple recommended

Check out this thread on fixing Apple Watch unlocking Mac

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251803595?answerId=253458029022#253458029022


Then follow with this thread

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251826134?answerId=253504359022#253504359022


And


I also found that it took awhile for the iCloud Keychain records to propagate and merge on all the systems. More so when you have multiple devices sharing the keychain (I have 4 Macs, the iPhone, and the Apple Watch). I followed both of the above threads, but it was not reliably working until the next day, when I tried again. And I did have to click the enable check box twice the next day, but then it stuck.


And this thread says they also had to toggle the Apple Watch -> Settings -> Siri -> Listen for "Hey Siri" option off then on

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251803595?answerId=253782332022#253782332022


Hints (you will understand when you read the first and second threads):

Applications -> Utilities -> Keychain Access


Finder -> Go menu -> ~/Library/Sharing/AutoUnlock


System Preferences -> iCloud -> Keychain

Posted on Dec 31, 2020 12:52 PM

1 reply
Question marked as Apple recommended

Dec 31, 2020 12:52 PM in response to Yurii-Volodymyr

Check out this thread on fixing Apple Watch unlocking Mac

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251803595?answerId=253458029022#253458029022


Then follow with this thread

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251826134?answerId=253504359022#253504359022


And


I also found that it took awhile for the iCloud Keychain records to propagate and merge on all the systems. More so when you have multiple devices sharing the keychain (I have 4 Macs, the iPhone, and the Apple Watch). I followed both of the above threads, but it was not reliably working until the next day, when I tried again. And I did have to click the enable check box twice the next day, but then it stuck.


And this thread says they also had to toggle the Apple Watch -> Settings -> Siri -> Listen for "Hey Siri" option off then on

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251803595?answerId=253782332022#253782332022


Hints (you will understand when you read the first and second threads):

Applications -> Utilities -> Keychain Access


Finder -> Go menu -> ~/Library/Sharing/AutoUnlock


System Preferences -> iCloud -> Keychain

Your Apple Watch must be signed in to iCloud to allow it to unlock your Mac

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