“Unlocking an iPhone via Touch ID in lieu of a passcode makes it much easier to maintain security while preserving convenience, and Touch ID’s ease of use has left many Mac users wondering when a similar feature might be introduced for Apple’s desktop and notebook machines,” Juli Clover reports for MacRumors.
“There has been speculation Apple might introduce dedicated Touch ID fingerprint scanning hardware for the Mac, but as it turns out,” Clover reports, “Apple is working on a simpler way to allow a Touch ID to unlock a Mac, and it’s a feature that could be included in OS X 10.12.”
“Apple engineers are designing an auto unlock function that would allow an iPhone to unlock a Mac when in close proximity, alleviating the need to enter a password on a password-protected Mac,” Clover reports. “It’s also possible that a connection with an Apple Watch could be used to unlock the Mac even when an iPhone isn’t present, making the process even simpler.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yet another reason for Mac users to have Apple Watches on their wrists.
SEE ALSO:
IDC: Apple Watch continues to dominate in smartwatch market share – May 16, 2016
Apple Watch debut-year sales doubled those of iPhone in its first year – May 6, 2016
Apple Watch predicted to capture 50% market share in 2016 – March 17, 2016
Thanks to Apple Watch, smartwatches are now more popular than Swiss watches – February 19, 2016
Canalys: Apple shipped over 12 million Apple Watches in 2015, two-thirds of all smartwatches shipped in 2015 – February 5, 2016
Apple Watch kickstarted interest in wearable devices; sales of fitness trackers and VR headsets are set for rapid growth – February 2, 2016
Apple Watch beats Rolex in luxury brands ranking – January 29, 2016
Apple Watch revenues expected to be $8.4 billion for first year – January 26, 2016
Juniper: Apple Watch has already cornered the smartwatch market – January 12, 2016
Apple COO: ‘Apple Watch marks the end of single-function wrist devices’ – January 7, 2016
Fitbit either doesn’t understand Apple Watch or hopes consumers won’t; neither is good for the company – January 6, 2016
Fitbit exec calls Apple Watch a ‘toy,’ Fitbit shares crater more than 13% after unveiling Apple Watch Sport knockoff – January 5, 2016
It’s official: The Apple Watch is destroying the so-called competition – November 20, 2015
As Apple Watch sales ramp, Swiss watch makers suffer biggest slump in six years – November 19, 2015
Apple Watch models take top four spots on 10 most-wanted smartwatches list – November 18, 2015
Apple Watch is 2016’s hottest holiday gift – November 18, 2015
Apple has already sold more than $1.7 billion worth of Apple Watches – October 29, 2015
Strategy Analytics: Apple Watch sells 4.5 million units in Q315, takes 74% global smartwatch market share – October 28, 2015
Apple Watch users are abandoning traditional watches – September 15, 2015
Over 1 million Apple Watches already sold in China – September 3, 2015
Apple Watch already dominates smart-wearables market, says IDC – August 28, 2015
IDC estimates Apple sold 3.6 million Apple Watch units in Q2 – August 27, 2015
Best Buy CEO: Apple Watch demand is ‘so strong’ that we’re expanding sales to all 1,050 stores – August 25, 2015
Swiss watch exports decline most since 2009 – August 20, 2015
Apple Watch takes 88% of total smartwatch revenue – August 14, 2015
Apple Watch kills a entire industry in three months – August 12, 2015
U.S. wristwatch sales post biggest drop in seven years after Apple Watch debut – August 7, 2015
Apple Watch dominates smartwatches with 75% market share – July 28, 2015
Juniper Research: Apple is world’s #1 smartwatch maker – July 23, 2015
Canalys: Apple ships 4.2 million Apple Watches in Q2 to become world’s top wearables vendor – July 21, 2015
Apple Watch satisfaction is unprecedented at 97%; beats original iPhone and iPad – July 20, 2015
Non-techies love their Apple Watches even more than tech users – July 20, 2015
Apple Watch is Apple’s most successful product debut ever – June 1, 2015
I like this. I like it a lot.
What, there a big call for this?
Not from a troll, troll. 🖕🏼
You can buy an AppleWatch to unlock your computer or you can unlock you computer without AppleWatch and save hundreds of dollars. Guess where the smart money goes?
Heh! Nice snark. But the Watch has a few other purposes as well.
No Joe, YOU are irrelevant and serve no purpose. As well as pointless, unproductive, ridiculous, childish, hateful, unlistenable, illogical, non-contributory and playing with a full dreck. And you wouldn’t know smart money if it bit you in your major doofus biases.
I am so irrelevant that you had to respond to my post. How do explain that?
You can’t even understand the need to point out the irrelevant POS to ignore in our midst? Further proof of your dulling dullardship.
Because I’m your own worst nightmare. I’m going to dog you until you leave, warning others to avoid you like the bad posting plague you are.
Because I’m your own worst nightmare. I’m going to dog you until you leave, warning others to avoid you like the bad posting plague you are.
How does it feel being the site’s resident cockroach, cockroach? You are also the theater scum under our shoes. Wherever something is vile and revolting it’s part of One Note Doofus Joe.
You can waste a few moments reading a post from Anonymous Joe, or you can save yourself the time and skip ANonymous Joe’s post. Guess which option is the better choice?
Notice the lack of respect coming your way Loser Boy? There’s a reason (that’s beyond you) for that One Note Doofus Joe.
I never considered your opinion worthy of consideration, so why would I care what you think?
Well certainly no one does of yours because it isn’t an opinion so much as simpleton level name calling. You offer up nothing anyone wants to hear because it’s the mindless, confused stuff of the feeble-minded.
Plainly you have your minimum wage job’s hairnet on too tight.
Yes I do care – that you leave dipshit. Like I said “I’m your own worst nightmare. I’m going to dog you until you leave, warning others to avoid you like the bad posting plague you are.”
God knows your tiny mind uses up no fodder at all, not to mention being oxygen starved for years. Sorry, I know it really hurts being you and we really shouldn’t make fun of the mentally handicapped like you… NAH!
Joe, your lack of insight and reason is becoming legendary here. Pretty funny.
Just read any of your posts to see a true master of fatuous injudiciousness at work. There’s are none better here at sounding dopey and dippy than you. Truly a fine sounding deadbeat flunky who posts are reminiscent and smell of what’s hard deposited in an Andy Gump.
Hardly. Sorry if the meaning of those actually simple words was beyond you. I know you must be extremely jealous with your strictly monosyllabic mumbling abilities. The difference between you and me is I got a full education whereas you stopped at 3rd grade. Kapeesh?
We don’t expect anything from you except the pure, specious, shambolic ramblings of a madman.
So glad to see MDN must’ve drop kicked your sorry ass out of here. I must say a well-deserved grab by the scruff of your moronic neck & given the bum’s rush out the door and over a cliff. Good riddance loser. Back to Troll Town and your usual well-suited job of cleaning up the town’s animal excrement.
Apple has had since 2007 to implement smart Mac unlocking using an iPhone, with security options tied to the fingerprint reader Touch ID on all late model iPhones, or with NFC that Apple finally adopted when it rolled out Apple Pay. The Mac was just ignored, Cook fiddling away telling Mac users to just wait for his long slow pipeline.
Meanwhile, other computer makers have offered fingerprint readers and NFC neatly integrated into their machines for many years. Logon and user switching can be instant, painless, and password free.
What again is the definition of a laggard? Apple has gone from being an innovator into a no-show for so many user features that non-Apple users enjoy, it’s hard to keep count.
The Apple Watch is not worth the money, and this ain’t no killer app that would justify its purchase for anyone.
How about LOCKING your Mac via your Apple Watch?
Here’s a nice article explaining how you can do it right now with your smartphone. http://lifehacker.com/how-to-make-your-smartphone-automatically-unlock-your-s-510592193
Use MacID app. Does it already. On watch and iPhones.
Yep, MacID from App Store does it already from my iOS devices, but only for those Macs with the. latest Blue Tooth hardware.
That is misleading… MacID is compatible with 2011 and newer Macs and iPhone 4S or newer.
And if you have money to spend on an Apple Watch, chances are pretty good your other hardware is under six years old.
I love MacID. It locks the Mac when I walk away (Bluetooth proximity) and when I sit down to use the Mac my watch taps me, and I’m presented with an “unlock Mac?” button. Don’t have to type in my password.
This all seems superfluous unless you are accustomed to regular password changes, and might have to fumble in 1password for the latest password in use.
MacID is very useful if you work in a modern “open concept” office, especially if you have to get up and walk around a lot. Having your Mac lock when you walk away and then be unlockable with a fingerprint scan on your phone or a tap on your watch when you return is very much a time saver.
I have long thought that you should be able to wear your access to the internet, so that your mobile device – watch, phone, whatever – unlocks a kiosk that lets you sit down and use it with your preferences, data, and apps. Then you walk away and you don’t leave a trace for the next person.
I already unlock my Mac with my Apple Watch using Knock to Unlock.
Yeap Maclock already does this plus has the ability to unlock more than one mac. Good stuff I was expecting it from Apple since they unveiled touch id!
I’ve tried several of the iPhone lock/unlock APPs including Maclock – haven’t been happy with any of them.
The problem admittedly is where my Mac sits in my Home Office – it’s on the second floor, against an interior wall that is pretty much right above the main walkway through the lower level of the house. No matter how small I make the BT recognition geo-fence for my Mac, I hear it unlock, then relock my Mac several times per hour while I am no where near my Mac. Just sitting in my Living Room is close enough for it to constantly unlock-lock-unlock-lock-unlock-lock all night long with Maclock set to a 1.5ft radius.