Auto Unlock Apple Watch with Phone

[eyecrispy]

If your iPhone is unlocked and screen is on, isn't your AW supposed to unlock when you strap it on? What I've noticed is that my AW will auto unlock about 50% of the time when my phone is already unlocked with screen on. The other 50% of the time, I have to enter my AW passcode. What am I missing here?

 

[ItnStln]

If your iPhone is unlocked and screen is on, isn't your AW supposed to unlock when you strap it on? What I've noticed is that my AW will auto unlock about 50% of the time when my phone is already unlocked with screen on. The other 50% of the time, I have to enter my AW passcode. What am I missing here?

I'm not sure, the auto unlock feature always confused me.

 

[doogald]

In my experience, my watch only unlocks if I actually unlock the phone from a display off state with the watch on my wrist. If the phone is already unlocked, that will not unlock the watch when I strap it on.

 

[dov1978]

If you have 'Unlock with iPhone' enabled in the Watch app then your watch should not require a passcode as long as you're wearing the watch (you'll still need to enter the pass code the 1st time you put it on). I've never had an issue with any of mine personally. The watch uses the heart rate sensor to know you're wearing it so maybe if there's something interfering with that then you might get issues ie really hairy wrists, sleeve tattoo or even just wearing the watch very loosely?

 

[dov1978]

Unless you mean by having the phone on and open that you shouldn't require that initial passcode entry on the watch? In that case I've never know it to work that way and just tried it on mine and it asked for the passcode.

 

[robertk328]

In my experience, my watch only unlocks if I actually unlock the phone from a display off state with the watch on my wrist. If the phone is already unlocked, that will not unlock the watch when I strap it on.

This.

I usually just lock the phone and unlock it again, or tap the 4 digits into the watch but the first option is quicker for me (Touch ID FTW!)

 

[Rob Phillips]

This.

I usually just lock the phone and unlock it again, or tap the 4 digits into the watch but the first option is quicker for me (Touch ID FTW!)

Same here. Or I just put my watch on my wrist and eventually it'll unlock as I use my phone.

 

[robertk328]

Same here. Or I just put my watch on my wrist and eventually it'll unlock as I use my phone.

Have done that as well!

 

[mark-d]

I can honestly say I've never fully understood what it's supposed to do as it's behaved in different ways.

Sometimes if my phone is unlocked then my phone unlocks. Sometimes it doesn't. What's really confused me though is that my watch has unlocked before when I've put it on when my phone definitely wasn't unlocked so it's a confusing feature for me

 

[Mac Guy]

I put my Watch on first thing when I get up. I then check my phone for email and notifications. Because I'm unlocking my phone, my Watch is unlocked as well.

Every so often, if I unlock my phone when the Watch's passcode screen is showing, the Watch is slow to unlock or doesn't unlock. But this is a rare occurrence.

In my experience, the Watch must already be on your wrist before your phone will unlock it.

 

[Rob Phillips]

I can honestly say I've never fully understood what it's supposed to do as it's behaved in different ways.

Sometimes if my phone is unlocked then my phone unlocks. Sometimes it doesn't. What's really confused me though is that my watch has unlocked before when I've put it on when my phone definitely wasn't unlocked so it's a confusing feature for me

What it's "supposed" to do is wait until you authenticate yourself on your iPhone, either with Touch ID or your passcode. So the state of your iPhone at the time you put your watch on isn't relevant; it will stay locked until you authenticate on your iPhone. That being said I've seen it behave inconsistently. I've definitely never had my watch unlock itself while my iPhone was still locked though.

 

[eyecrispy]

I can honestly say I've never fully understood what it's supposed to do as it's behaved in different ways.

Sometimes if my phone is unlocked then my phone unlocks. Sometimes it doesn't. What's really confused me though is that my watch has unlocked before when I've put it on when my phone definitely wasn't unlocked so it's a confusing feature for me

Yes, very inconsistent! I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who's seeing this. It's not a deal breaker for me or anything. Putting in the passcode once a day takes seconds. I was just confused as to why it would auto-unlock sometimes and not others.

 

[bamf-hacker]

The unlock with iPhone feature works when you are wearing the locked watch and you unlock the phone. That is how the watch makes sure its you. If not someone could take the watch and just be within BT range of the unlocked phone and they have your stuff ??????

 

[Mac Guy]

My 'unlocking with iPhone' has been very consistent, as I think about it.

My only problem is the rare time I put my Watch on after I've got my phone open. The phone is authenticated, but because my watch wasn't on my wrist, no joy. Anytime after that, I open my phone and the Watch unlocks.

But most of the time if I make that mistake, I just use the pass code, since I'll probably be checking something on it before subsequently opening the phone.