wow321
Level 1 (19 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Apple Watch Will Not Unlock MacBook

I have a 2016 Macbook on MacOS, iPhone 6 Plus running iOS10, first generation Apple Watch running Watch OS3, and two step authentication turned on.  As the screenshot will show below, I was able to check the option to allow my Apple Watch to unlock my Mac.  It searched for the watch and then checked off.  I've done this multiple times, however it will not unlock the Mac.  The new features of copying and pasting between devices, etc. seem to work fine but I cannot get the unlock feature to work.

 

Screen Shot 2016-09-21 at 10.30.11 AM.png

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016), macOS Sierra (10.12)

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 7:44 AM

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wow321

Q: Apple Watch Will Not Unlock MacBook

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  • by sterling r,

    sterling r sterling r Sep 21, 2016 8:29 PM in response to wow321
    Community Specialists
    Sep 21, 2016 8:29 PM in response to wow321

    Hello wow321,

    Thanks for seeking help with unlocking you Macbook with your Apple Watch here in the     Apple Support Communities. Congratulations on having the latest and greatest updates on your devices. Also, thank you for verifying the things you checked already. I will do my very best to help offer some things to get this working as expected.

    I personally reviewed the help article to unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch which is here: Automatically unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. The first thing we want to do is to double check everything is set up properly by going through that article step by step once more.

    A confusing area for some people is the type of security on their Apple ID. The requirement state that an Apple ID needs to be using two-factor authentication instead of two-step verification. Please check the security type on your Apple ID using this help article which discusses two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication for Apple ID, and this second help article which discusses two-step verification: Frequently asked questions about two-step verification for Apple ID.

    If everything checks out and you are still experiencing issues, I recommend making a backup all your data on your iPhone, to ensure everything is safe. You can make a backup in iCloud or iTunes. Use this article for help with that: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

    Then, try to turning both the iPhone the Apple watch is paired with and the Mac devices off, then back on again. Sometimes, that is all that is necessary to get all the connections reset and everything working properly again.

    If you're still having trouble, please unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone following the steps here: Unpair your Apple Watch and iPhone. Then, reset your iPhone's network settings under Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This won't remove any of your personal information (contacts, photos, Calendar events, etc) but it will remove saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, as well as any previously used APN or VPN settings and connected Bluetooth devices. After the iPhone reset, pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone again and test if the Apple Watch can then unlock your Mac.

    Thanks again for seeking help with this here in the Apple Support Communities. Have a great rest of your day.