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M4 Mini won't unlock with watch

litmag01

litmag01

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 16, 2009
391
284
I just moved from a MacMini Intel to M4 MacMini and the new device will not unlock with my Apple Watch - not for lack of the machine trying though. The device appears to be trying to unlock (it actually says "Unlocking with Apple Watch")with the my Series9 then just times out, rolling back to the kb password entry.

  • I have verified the steps here: https://support.apple.com/en-lamr/102442
  • The WiFi and BT work fine (I network only with wireless, and my other Apple BT devices work fine)
  • Not resolved with service or device cycling.
  • Not resolved by wiping and rebuilding Mac mini (w/data migration)
  • The Apple Watch unlock works fine on my M2 MBAir (also running 15.1.1)
Is this related maybe to a screen saver or keychain setting as noted in old discussions HERE?


EDIT: Also should add that I can use my watch to approve purchases and password entry from within the unlocked OS
 
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Dang. This is one of those annoying "little" issues that could spoil a new Mac honeymoon, but it appears that you're a pro (literally) at troubleshooting, have gone directly to Apple's support documentation, and have now laid out very clearly what you have tried with no success. Since unlock is working on your MBAir, I think you're also querying the correct MR forum, so hopefully someone will offer the right lead if you don't resolve this beforehand.

My Apple Watch (WatchOS 11.1) is consistently unlocking my M4 mini (15.1.1) and interestingly, my Mac is even using internet sharing, which, disabling it, is one of the very few suggestions on that support document, go figure. I have the MacOS screensaver running, but note that my mini doesn't sleep because internet sharing disables that.

Just for grins, have you've tried iPhone Mirroring with the new mini yet? And what about Universal Control? UC has an issue for some with Sequoia, but re-linking the iPad gets mine working again.
 
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CharlesShaw said:
Dang. This is one of those annoying "little" issues that could spoil a new Mac honeymoon, but it appears that you're a pro (literally) at troubleshooting, have gone directly to Apple's support documentation, and have now laid out very clearly what you have tried with no success. Since unlock is working on your MBAir, I think you're also querying the correct MR forum, so hopefully someone will offer the right lead if you don't resolve this beforehand.

My Apple Watch (WatchOS 11.1) is consistently unlocking my M4 mini (15.1.1) and interestingly, my Mac is even using internet sharing, which, disabling it, is one of the very few suggestions on that support document, go figure. I have the MacOS screensaver running, but note that my mini doesn't sleep because internet sharing disables that.

Just for grins, have you've tried iPhone Mirroring with the new mini yet? And what about Universal Control? UC has an issue for some with Sequoia, but re-linking the iPad gets mine working again.
Click to expand...
Thank you!!

Sadly the UC works fine and re-linking didn't fix it. (And mirroring works fine.)
 
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Since it's working on the MBAir, but not on the mini, what differences exist between them regarding your software and settings?

Also, when you restored and rebuilt the mini, did you try using it without any data migration to see if the Watch could unlock it just by being logged into your iCloud account?
 
CharlesShaw said:
Also, when you restored and rebuilt the mini, did you try using it without any data migration to see if the Watch could unlock it just by being logged into your iCloud account?
Click to expand...
This is a good point. If it comes to it I'll try a rebuild without migration. I don't think I took any settings because I always uncheck all the transfer options other than portions of user data. Then again who the heck knows with migration assistant. I do know I don't exactly relish the 3+ hour re-migration (application installs and re-registration, service sync, etc.) but I will do it if nothing else works.

As for the settings differences between the MBAir and the Mini, oh boy! They are like night and day. I did just duplicate the screen saver settings from the portable to the desktop though (matched all the time settings) and will see what happens.
 
Well. It decided to start working. Out of the blue it just worked right now. It started worked after I connected to the Mac Mini from my MB Air to share some files via Finder. I was moving them and decided I wanted to look at them on the source MacMini. I pressed the spacebar to wake the machine and it just unlocked. I have absolutely no clue if that was it though since some of the fixes I have been given said it might take some time. Th is was though the first time it has worked.

  • Possibilities include:
  • Altering sleep/wake settings or UC settings
  • Changing my watch face (I actually hope this was the fix b/c it is so wacky and such a moonshot)
  • Remote in via Finder

I'll keep you all posted if I actually learn anything of real value.
 
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Sigh. It stopped working again. It only works now if I restart the computer. No settings have changed. All other watch approvals still continue to work (side button for approvals, etc.)

I think this might just need to be something Apple needs to work out.
 
The obvious: Make your Unlock with Apple Watch is turned on in Touch ID and Password are of Settings.

I have not had this happen since my upgrade to Watch 10. With my previous Apple Watch is failed to work a lot. I finally discovered that I could hard restart (Power OFF and back ON) my Watch and then turn it back on in Mac Settings. Then it would be fine for a few weeks.

Apple was never able to solve it for me. It continued through macOS updates and watchOS updates.

.
 
lwilliams said:
I have not had this happen since my upgrade to Watch 10.
Click to expand...
I hope that's not the case since I got my series 9 just a year ago.

From a wireless signals perspective the Series 9 and series 10 are identical. It could be in the only major difference - the SiP. 🤷‍♂️ That's too much in the proprietary weeds for me. Could be like when they integrated the T2 chips and it mucked with the authentication on some Macs.
 
Radio interference is my first guess, or somehow where you have your M4 Mini is in a location that causes or results in some kind of radio interference.

My understanding is the device asking to be unlocked has to be able to detect that the Watch is close enough before it will unlock. If there is interference that causes the locked machine to be unable to determine how close the Watch is, or it determines it is just a bit too far away, it won’t use the Watch to unlock.

Have you tried changing Wifi channels, for example.
 
msackey said:
Radio interference is my first guess, or somehow where you have your M4 Mini is in a location that causes or results in some kind of radio interference.

My understanding is the device asking to be unlocked has to be able to detect that the Watch is close enough before it will unlock. If there is interference that causes the locked machine to be unable to determine how close the Watch is, or it determines it is just a bit too far away, it won’t use the Watch to unlock.

Have you tried changing Wifi channels, for example.
Click to expand...
It sits approximately ~30cm from my wrist on top of the desk and all the other radio functions still work fine (see earlier- it is communicating all other authentications for web password entry approval and web Apple Pay approval).
 
Also, that you all who have contributed for your suggestions!
 
Let's hope 15.2 and 11.2 will bring some solution to your issue, as well as some other quirks currently in 15.1.1 for myself ;)
 
litmag01 said:
It sits approximately ~30cm from my wrist on top of the desk and all the other radio functions still work fine (see earlier- it is communicating all other authentications for web password entry approval and web Apple Pay approval).
Click to expand...
It's still possible there is enough radio interference that the Mac interprets as below whatever benchmark it needs for unlocking, but it isn't at the level of interference that interrupts bluetooth connectivity.
 
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