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Apple Admits Issue with Unlock with Apple Watch
- Thread starter TheCookie
- Start date
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Did you sign out of iCloud with your phone, Mac and watch? Would I also have to sign out of the iPad and the iMac?
Only signed out from my mac and re sign-in. After that it worked right away.
Side note: After doing this sign-out sign-in all of my other devices re-asked my appleid because of keychain
FWIW... my Series 6 Watch still unlocks my 2018 Mac Mini like a champ since I posted on page 2 of this thread. Signing back in to 3 i-devices was annoying, but all my iCloud features work fine.
I think it's fixed for me. Hopefully this can work for you:
After 2+ hours on the phone with 3 different Apple techs, I think I wasted all of the time I will save using the feature instead of just typing the password ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
* All devices are running the latest updates (watchOS 7.1, iOS 14.2, macOS 11.0.1)
- Setup a test admin-level user account on my Mac, logged into my iCloud account, enabled Watch Unlock.
- On my main admin-level user account I logged out and back into my iCloud account, then enabled Watch Unlock.
- After a bunch of testing (Fast User Switching, waking from Lock Screen, accessing Safari passwords, changing System Preferences, etc) I logged out of iCloud from the test admin-level account and logged out of test account completely.
After 2+ hours on the phone with 3 different Apple techs, I think I wasted all of the time I will save using the feature instead of just typing the password ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
* All devices are running the latest updates (watchOS 7.1, iOS 14.2, macOS 11.0.1)
Since upgrading to Big Sur my watch unlock doesnt work at all. I disable it and re-enable and it does not unlock it.
This feature has been the most broken & fixed since its inception. They literally break it several times per year.
Either fix it or axe it if you can't deliver it reliably.
This feature has been the most broken & fixed since its inception. They literally break it several times per year.
Either fix it or axe it if you can't deliver it reliably.
Watch 6 at 7.1, 2017 iMac at 10.15.7
I've had trouble with unlocking ever since I replaced my Watch 2 with the 6. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it tries and fails. Sometimes it doesn't try at all. The Watch 2 worked fine.
So, last night thought I'd try the log-out-of-iCloud solution.
Amazing. I tested it a few times and it worked instantly. Faster than ever.
Same when I got up this morning. Instant unlock.
Then I went to make a cup of coffee. When I got back it wouldn't unlock with the watch. All I got was the normal password entry field with no mention of the watch at all.
I have to agree.
I've had trouble with unlocking ever since I replaced my Watch 2 with the 6. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it tries and fails. Sometimes it doesn't try at all. The Watch 2 worked fine.
So, last night thought I'd try the log-out-of-iCloud solution.
Amazing. I tested it a few times and it worked instantly. Faster than ever.
Same when I got up this morning. Instant unlock.
Then I went to make a cup of coffee. When I got back it wouldn't unlock with the watch. All I got was the normal password entry field with no mention of the watch at all.
I have to agree.
Ever since I got my Apple Watch 5, I haven't been able to use it to unlock my iMac. I've tried countless things, but no success. I'd have taken it to the Genius Bar but Covid-19 has kept me from that. But I think I've accidentally come upon a solution:
While working on a new issue where my screen saver wouldn't come up, on one trouble shooting step I went to System Preferences > Energy Saver and changed the slider from 'Never' to '15 min'. Then I unchecked everything.
Then I went to System Preferences > Desktop and Screen Saver, selected Screen Saver, and on the bottom > Start after 1 minute.
Then, as I always do after making a change, I went to System Preferences > Security & Privacy to see if it would allow me to Unlock with my Apple Watch 5. To my great surprise .. It accepted it .. It never did before. Before it only accepted my Apple Watch 2. Now it accepts both.
I don't know what I did that made it work but I suspect it had to do with the 'Energy Saver' changes.
P.S. I'm currently using OS 11.1 Big Sur Beta .. I also had the 'won't unlock' problem during my time with Catalina.
P.S.S. I had also, during the events noted above, gone to System Preferences > Users & Groups, unlocked the lock, started to add a guest user to see if the guest user would experience the same problem, changed my mind (long story) and put it back to just myself as 'admin' and relocked the lock. This is probably of no consequence but . . .
While working on a new issue where my screen saver wouldn't come up, on one trouble shooting step I went to System Preferences > Energy Saver and changed the slider from 'Never' to '15 min'. Then I unchecked everything.
Then I went to System Preferences > Desktop and Screen Saver, selected Screen Saver, and on the bottom > Start after 1 minute.
Then, as I always do after making a change, I went to System Preferences > Security & Privacy to see if it would allow me to Unlock with my Apple Watch 5. To my great surprise .. It accepted it .. It never did before. Before it only accepted my Apple Watch 2. Now it accepts both.
I don't know what I did that made it work but I suspect it had to do with the 'Energy Saver' changes.
P.S. I'm currently using OS 11.1 Big Sur Beta .. I also had the 'won't unlock' problem during my time with Catalina.
P.S.S. I had also, during the events noted above, gone to System Preferences > Users & Groups, unlocked the lock, started to add a guest user to see if the guest user would experience the same problem, changed my mind (long story) and put it back to just myself as 'admin' and relocked the lock. This is probably of no consequence but . . .
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When you just see the password entry field with no unlock effect, click on the 'Cancel' circle X down on the bottom. Chances are it will then unlock with your watch.
Although I haven't tried your latest entry for "solutions" many of these seem to work for me for a few hours to a few days, then go back to failure again.
Macbook Air May 2020
AW Series 4
I tried every solution posted and finally managed to get it working again after doing the Keychain thing, changing both iCloud and computer password and signing out and in again on all of my devices as well as completely resetting the watch. Spend the better part of the day on this stuff, really hope it doesn't go back to not working again!
I think it was the signing out and in again that finally fixed it. It worked on the second try after that.
I think it was the signing out and in again that finally fixed it. It worked on the second try after that.
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Let us know if it still works after, say, 3 days. I can get it to work doing these things but it stops working after a day or two.
Still working for me. Plus, macOS 11.1 is now available with this in the release notes: “Reliability of unlocking your Mac automatically with your Apple Watch”
I have been having this problem after going to Os 11 (although signing out of iCloud did seem to fix this today). I may have to jump on 11.1 if this is fixed. This also broke unlocking 1password with the watch for me, and that was a big bummer, because I was really happy to see that feature added. So hopefully 11.1 will fix that part too.
I just upgraded watch to 7.2, iPhone to 14.3 and OS to 11.1 and both the watch and 1password (with double click on watch) are working. We'll see after a day or two...
My apple watch unlock was working fine in Big Sur, until i updated to 11.1 yesterday, now it's broken. Anyone else having this problem?
I wish Notes worked but, at least I have the Face ID option. I am glad that I can get into my password managers with my watch again.
It took me about 6 - 7 tries with the Apple Watch (after the updates) before it started working. There seemed to be about an hour delay before it kicked in.