Many people are still choosing Apple’s ecosystem for their daily work because of its security & convenience. You can use only one Apple ID on all Apple devices, which are connected to your iCloud account and your data will be synced automatically. All you need is to tighten all your Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, Mac… with a single iCloud account.
In this post today, we’ll show you a simple method that you can use to unlock your Mac with your iPhone. You will take advantage of Bluetooth and Touch ID on your iPhone to lock and unlock your Mac. That would be great if this feature is added by default on all iDevices. However, you need to use third-party currently to do that.
How to Lock and Unlock Mac with iPhone
Before proceeding to unlock your Mac with your iPhone, you have to install the app on both devices. If you have a number of Macs and iPhones, you then need to install the app on all of them.
Download
- NearLock.dmg for Mac (Free)
- Near Lock for iPhone, iPad (Free)
Now, you need to configure the devices for locking and unlocking your Mac with iPhone by using Bluetooth or Touch ID.
The third-party app is never perfect, so you should know the pros & cons of Near Lock app.
Pros:
- It’s free.
- Works well on iOS devices
- Fast and secure.
- Compatible with almost Mac devices.
- Allowing copying clipboard text from Mac to iPhone.
- Captures an image to identify who already logged in to your Mac.
Cons:
- Some limitations of the free version. You need to upgrade to pro version if you want the app work in the background.
- You will have to enable Bluetooth every time both iPhone and Mac. Although it uses low energy, the battery is still eaten up.
- Some minor problems with iOS 11 & macOS High Sierra versions. The developer is currently fixing them.
Step 1: Launch Near Lock App on Mac
- Once you downloaded the file, double-click the NearLock.dmg to begin the installation process.
- Next, drag and drop the Near Lock icon into the Applications folder.
- Activate the Bluetooth and launch “Near Lock” app on your MacBook/ iMac
Step 2: Setup Near Lock App on iPhone
- First, download “Near Lock” app as the link above.
- Next, open Control Center to activate Bluetooth on your iOS device.
- Once done, open “Near Lock” app and it will then automatically scan for Mac devices near your iPhone/iPad. Ensure the Bluetooth is already turned on your MacBook and the “Near Lock” app is also opened.
- Once the app detects your MacBook, you now enter the password of your MacBook to set up the connection between your iOS device and Mac.
- Click on Connect to verify the password.
- Next, choose Continue to go to the app’s main screen. From there, you will list all the connected MacBooks.
- Click on your MacBook Name and turn on Near Lock feature or click on Near Lock icon on your Mac device.
You can now automatically lock and unlock your Mac using your iPhone.
Also read: Steps to Password “Protected iWork Documents” on Mac
Step 3: Use Bluetooth or Touch ID
The Near Lock app supports both Bluetooth and Touch ID for unlocking. In order to unlock your Mac with your iPhone:
- Launch “Near Lock” app on your iOS device.
- Put your finger on the home button and move your iPhone closer to your Mac.
- Your Mac will automatically enter the password and unlock it.
- You can also specify the Lock and Unlock distance You should set the distance to 3.0 meters to get the best experience.
When you leave the desk with iPhone, Near Lock app will detect the change and then lock the Mac automatically. By this way, it will also unlock automatically your Mac when coming back to your device later. If you use the free version of Near Lock, you will have to launch the app first to unlock your Mac. To get the full functions, you should purchase the pro version (only $3.99).