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Apple’s all-new Mac mini is more mighty, more mini, and built for Apple Intelligence. Learn more >
I can't get my Mac to unlock with my Apple Watch. I have an iPhone 11, Watch SE and M1 Macbook Air. I tried restarting all devices and I do have my watch on my wrist and iPhone is unlocked when I try this. I used to work on my old Macbook Pro and now it isn't.
Apple Watch SE, watchOS 8
Let me guess, when you try to select "Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac", it reports "unable to communicate with Apple Watch" even though it is on your wrist, unlocked, and all the numerous system requirements are met. Is that correct?
For reference, please review all the steps in Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch - Apple Support including "How to set up Auto Unlock." Then, confirm you already tried the two suggestions under "Learn More."
Specifically (emphasis added):
If you exhaust every possible solution in that Support document and it still isn't working, I suggest you forget about it for at least 24 hours. Because that's what I did, and a day or two later it just started working again. I did nothing.
🤷🏻♂️
Let me guess, when you try to select "Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac", it reports "unable to communicate with Apple Watch" even though it is on your wrist, unlocked, and all the numerous system requirements are met. Is that correct?
For reference, please review all the steps in Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch - Apple Support including "How to set up Auto Unlock." Then, confirm you already tried the two suggestions under "Learn More."
Specifically (emphasis added):
If you exhaust every possible solution in that Support document and it still isn't working, I suggest you forget about it for at least 24 hours. Because that's what I did, and a day or two later it just started working again. I did nothing.
🤷🏻♂️
Yup. I followed this article when doing this. Checked that it was supported, made sure I wasn't sharing internet or screen, restarted things, clicked on the thing again, made sure two-factor authentication was on on my Mac. All of it. I'll wait for tomorrow and see if it works then. I appreciate the detailed response though!
Once you get used to "unlock with Apple Watch" it's unbearable when it doesn't work. Give it a day or two.
I have induced the problem on affected Macs by booting a different operating system or restoring a Time Machine backup, but the root cause is not immediately evident. I never received a satisfactory explanation for its failure to work, but in each case it eventually started working again. Apple needs to fix it, or explain the need to wait a while (if it's really required).
I had this issue recently and this is exactly what I did to fix it, but I didn't have to restart:
I can't get my Mac to unlock with my Apple Watch.
