Mac Setup

Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch

When you are wearing your unlocked Apple Watch and are near your Mac, use it to unlock the Mac without entering a password.

Open the interactive guide

System Settings

Before you start

  • Use a compatible Apple Watch and sign in to the same Apple Account on the watch and the Mac.

  • Turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, two-factor authentication, and an Apple Watch passcode, and confirm that both devices meet Apple’s Auto Unlock system requirements.

  • If the Apple Watch section is unavailable, check device and account requirements first. Skip this item when it does not apply.

Settings path

System Settings › Touch ID & Password › Apple Watch › Your Apple Watch name

Steps

  1. Confirm that the Mac and Apple Watch use the same Apple Account and that Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, two-factor authentication, and the Apple Watch passcode are turned on.
  2. Open System Settings and click Touch ID & Password in the sidebar.
  3. In the Apple Watch section, turn on the option next to the name of your watch.
  4. Wear the Apple Watch near the Mac, press any key or lift the laptop lid, and confirm that the Mac unlocks automatically.

Before

After waking the Mac, you need to use a password or Touch ID to unlock it.

After

While wearing your Apple Watch near the Mac, press any key or lift the laptop lid and the Mac unlocks automatically.

Undo the change

  • Return to Touch ID & Password > Apple Watch and turn off the option next to the name of your watch.

Sources and version notes

This guide records a path review for macOS 27.0.1 on 2026-10-14; labels may differ on other versions.

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