Apple watch stopped unlocking Mac0S 26.5. Everything was working just fine until it wasn't. The only thing of any significance that changed was upgrading to 26.5.2. At the login screen it says "unlocking with Apple Watch" but he little gear just spins and spins.
Mac Studio, macOS 26.5
Often, simply toggling the feature off and on is enough to force the system to regenerate the connection.
1. On your Mac, go to System Settings > Touch ID & Password (or Login Password).
2. Toggle off the switch to unlock with your Apple Watch.
3. Restart both your Mac and your Apple Watch.
4. Go back to your Mac's Settings and toggle the Apple Watch unlock feature back on.
3. The Definitive Fix: Clearing Keys in Keychain Access
Option 2
1. Turn off the Apple Watch unlock feature in your Mac's System Settings.
2. Open the Keychain Access app (you can find it by pressing Cmd + Space and typing it into Spotlight).
3. In the search bar at the top right, type: Auto Unlock
4. Select and delete all the entries that appear (they will look like Auto Unlock: ...). Don't worry, these are just temporary cache files.
5. Next, search for: AutoUnlock (without a space) and delete those results as well (e.g., com.apple.ids.device-properties.autounlock...).
6. Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G (Go to Folder), and paste the following path:
~/Library/Sharing/AutoUnlock
7. Empty the contents of this folder (move the files to the Trash).
8. Restart your Mac.
9. Go back to System Settings and re-enable the Apple Watch unlock feature. You will be prompted to enter your Mac password to set it up from scratch.
Often, simply toggling the feature off and on is enough to force the system to regenerate the connection.
1. On your Mac, go to System Settings > Touch ID & Password (or Login Password).
2. Toggle off the switch to unlock with your Apple Watch.
3. Restart both your Mac and your Apple Watch.
4. Go back to your Mac's Settings and toggle the Apple Watch unlock feature back on.
3. The Definitive Fix: Clearing Keys in Keychain Access
Option 2
1. Turn off the Apple Watch unlock feature in your Mac's System Settings.
2. Open the Keychain Access app (you can find it by pressing Cmd + Space and typing it into Spotlight).
3. In the search bar at the top right, type: Auto Unlock
4. Select and delete all the entries that appear (they will look like Auto Unlock: ...). Don't worry, these are just temporary cache files.
5. Next, search for: AutoUnlock (without a space) and delete those results as well (e.g., com.apple.ids.device-properties.autounlock...).
6. Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G (Go to Folder), and paste the following path:
~/Library/Sharing/AutoUnlock
7. Empty the contents of this folder (move the files to the Trash).
8. Restart your Mac.
9. Go back to System Settings and re-enable the Apple Watch unlock feature. You will be prompted to enter your Mac password to set it up from scratch.
Just a small update. Turning my watch off and then back on solved the issue. My watch now unlocks my desktop. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Do you have WiFi and Bluetooth enabled on both devices? Try turning WiFi and BT off, then back on, on both devices.
If that doesn't work, go to Settings>Touch ID & Password. Turn off that feature. Back out to the main settings screen. For good measure, restart.
Reboot your Mac
Power Cycle your Apple Watch
This is what I did, and my Apple Watch again unlocks my Tahoe 26.5.2 system.
WilliamL wrote:
Just a small update. Turning my watch off and then back on solved the issue. My watch now unlocks my desktop. Thanks for all the suggestions.
You discovered a secret known to the ancients and pass down through the ages in secret ceremonies: When in doubt, REBOOT🥴
Apparently, you have a Mac without Touch ID and I failed to take that into consideration. Apologies.
I have a second monitor but it's attached by either USB-C or Thunderbolt. I can't recall which. Unlocking with my watch still works. Most of the time. Sometimes it doesn't. I turn it off and turn it back on and it works. Perhaps the HDMI is the problem? I don't know the answer to that. Try disconnecting it and testing.
One other thing I would like to add, once I have unlocked my Mac with the password, my Apple watch will respond to authentication requests. I.e. 1Password will request the login password and I can push the crown button to authenticate.
Thanks. How do I Power Cycle my watch?
I did find something under the Lock Screen setting about using Apple watch to unlock machine.
WilliamL wrote:
I did find something under the Lock Screen setting about using Apple watch to unlock machine.
It is in Settings>Touch ID & Password, as I noted above.
SpiderMac wrote:
Often, simply toggling the feature off and on is enough to force the system to regenerate the connection.
Is there an echo in here?
Here are two screen grabs of my System Settings.
And specifically Login Password
Another thing I just realized is that I added a second monitor to my setup. It is connected via HDMI.
I have an HDMI connection, and don’t have a problem, so that’s unlikely.
Apple Watch stopped unlocking Mac after macOS 26.5.2 update
