How to Use Apple Watch to Replace Your Password Without Touch ID

The new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops are replacing the good old password with Touch ID fingerprint recognition. For those of you wondering if it's possible to use Touch ID without spending thousands on a new Mac, yes it is if you have an Apple Watch.

How to use Touch ID with your Apple Watch

If you have a Mac computer and you wear the Apple Watch, you can bypass the Touch ID on your Mac. macOS Catalina can determine that it's you sitting in front of your Mac thanks to data from the Apple Watch.

You will still need your password even with Touch ID. For example, when you first turn on your Mac to log in or after a reboot. However, after you enter your Mac password once, simply wearing your unlocked Apple Watch is as good as Touch ID on your Mac. Apple Watch isn’t just great for unlocking your Mac after it wakes from sleep. Beginning with macOS Catalina, you can use your Apple Watch to replace your Mac password without Touch ID in even more devices and apps. Your Apple Watch can be used to unlock:

System Preferences to change Mac settings
Locked notes in Apple Notes
Saved passwords in Safari’s Preferences
You can also use the Apple Watch to replace your Mac password without Touch ID when installing new software.

In order to replace your Mac password with the Apple Watch, you have to confirm your password. It's really easy. Your Apple Watch will notify you with a tone or a tap on the wrist, then the watch screen will ask you to press the side button below the Digital Crown twice.

How to set it up

This handy auto-unlock feature for Mac users with the Apple Watch works on every model of Apple Watch. Simply make sure you have watchOS 3 or newer and a compatible Mac running macOS Sierra or later.

You also have to make sure your Mac has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and you're using the same iCloud Apple ID on both your Apple Watch and your Mac. You should also use Two-Factor Authentication for another layer of security, and that you have a passcode on your Apple Watch.
Here's what you need to do to enable this option:

  1. Open the System Preferences app by pressing the Apple logo located in the top right corner of your screen.
  2. Select "System Preferences".
  3. Choose "Security & Privacy".
  4. Click on the lock icon at the bottom left corner of the "General" tab
  5. Enter your Mac password and press "Unlock"
  6. Put a tick in the box next to your Apple Watch under "Use Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac"

Now you can use your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac computer.

January 21, 2020
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