Since updating Apple Watch to watchOS 7, it’s possible Auto Unlock with macOS stops working. This is due to a bug with the credentials stored in macOS used to authenticate the Handoff. You can reset these stored keys in Keychain Access to reset the Auto Unlock functionality.
Apple Watch Wont Unlock With Iphone
- On Apple’s website, you can search for solution to unlock it but it’s not always possible. In most cases, the Activation Lock would have been activated and you still need to perform iCloud removal or iCloud unlock for the Apple Watch. There’s no way to factory reset it too, in case you’re wondering. ICloud Login Finder Apple Watch.
- Connect your Apple Watch to its Apple Magnetic Charging Cable. Press and hold the side button until you see the Power Off slider. Force Press Power Off and tap Erase all content and settings. However, my watch always returns to a locked state. It does not appear as a paired device on my phone nor can I re-pair the watch.
Apple Watch won’t charge. If you find that your Apple Watch won’t charge, then you’re not alone. Remember that it can take a few seconds for the charging icon to pop up when the Apple Watch.
Delete Keychain entries
Open Keychain Access.app from the Utilities folder in Applications. Choose View → Show Invisible Items. This will show all items in the Keychain, including the entries relating to the Auto Unlock functionality, which would be hidden otherwise. If you can’t find the items in subsequent steps, check that this is toggled correctly and not accidentally unset.
Search for ‘auto unlock’ and some application passwords should appear. If not, skip this step, but if some exist, delete all the ‘Auto Unlock’ items. These items are within the iCloud keychain so they are synchronised to other Macs you might also be signed in to, so Auto Unlock will be invalidated and disabled everywhere.
Now search for ‘autounlock’ and you should see some entries with that name. Delete all ‘AutoUnlock’ entries. Some of them might be regenerated shortly after deletion.
Delete preferences
Go to the Library folder in your home folder, open Sharing, then AutoUnlock. Delete both preference files within. If you can’t find the folder, double-check you’re looking in the Library folder within your home folder, not at the root of the boot volume — see the path at the bottom of the screenshot below.
Apple Watch Not Unlocking
Restart, then try to re-enable Auto Unlock in System Preferences. Hopefully these steps should get everything back to normal.