Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch

If you have a Mac (mid-2013 or later) with macOS 10.13 or later, your Apple Watch can instantly unlock your Mac when it wakes from sleep. You need to be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on both your Mac and Apple Watch.

Tip: To find the model year of your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your computer screen, then choose About This Mac. The year your Mac was made is listed next to the model—for example, “MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018).”

Turn on Auto Unlock

Make sure that your devices are set up as follows:
- Your Mac has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
- Your Mac and Apple Watch are signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account, and your Apple Account has two-factor authentication turned on.
- Your Apple Watch is using a passcode.
Do one of the following:
- If you’re using macOS 13 or later, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Login Password.
- If you’re using macOS 12 or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click General.
Select “Use Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac.”
If you have more than one Apple Watch, select the watches you want to use to unlock your apps and Mac.

If you don’t have two-factor authentication turned on for your Apple Account, follow the onscreen instructions, then try selecting the checkbox again. See the Apple Support article Two-factor authentication for Apple Account.

Unlock your Mac

While wearing your watch, just wake up your Mac—no need to type in your password.

Tip: Make sure Apple Watch is on your wrist and unlocked and you’re near your Mac.

Helpful?

Apple Watch User Guide

Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch

Turn on Auto Unlock

Unlock your Mac