Resolved Apple Watch Mac login

[transmaster]

I have most of the way the Apple Watch works down pat but I am now learning the "little things" unique to the watch. One of them I now have checked off is the AW automatically logging me into my Mac Studio. It worked and than it didn't. All of the needed settings were in place. A chat with Apple got me a script kiddy, no real help there. I googled the issue and I finally found one posting on a Reddit thread with the solution. It is one of those Apple security things that makes sense. This is what is happening every time you restart/shutdown the Mac you have to re-authorize the Apple Watch remote login. If your can remember go into the setting and turn this off before you restart it will save a second restart to re-authorize it.

 

[Broken Hope]

You absolutely do not have to re-authorize every time you restart or shut down, but the Apple Watch auto login won't work from a fresh boot, same for Touch ID, they will work once you've logged in manually from a fresh boot though.

 

[transmaster]

You absolutely do not have to re-authorize every time you restart or shut down, but the Apple Watch auto login won't work from a fresh boot, same for Touch ID, they will work once you've logged in manually from a fresh boot though.

I think I see what I am doing wrong Apple support says I have to have 2 factor sign in enabled.

 

[transmaster]

I have 2 factor turned on. and I have the pass code.

Will deal with this later. 😐

 

[Stiksi]

You absolutely do not have to re-authorize every time you restart or shut down, but the Apple Watch auto login won't work from a fresh boot, same for Touch ID, they will work once you've logged in manually from a fresh boot though.

It’s spotty at best. After about a month of trying to make it work reliably, I gave up. Password is where it’s at. Much easier than trying five times with the watch and then using the pw anyway.

 

[transmaster]

You absolutely do not have to re-authorize every time you restart or shut down, but the Apple Watch auto login won't work from a fresh boot, same for Touch ID, they will work once you've logged in manually from a fresh boot though.

I think I understand. each morning I recharge the watch i have to sign back into the watch and it is than the autolog does not work anymore. My Mac goes to standby during the night and I have sign back into it. But was is puzzling to an Apple Watch nood is why does this Auto sign in stop working, and it seems I have reauthorize it,There is no issue with my 14 Pro Max. The AW as finally ended by wish for the touch ID to return.

I'll get it figured out and looking from the otherside it will be so simple.

I don't feel bad a friend on mine texted me yesterday his iPhone 13 was totally locked up. He has had iPhones longer than I have, and he is a GE systems engineer. I asked him if he had done a hard reset...?..I thought I was, he was just turning it off. I instructed him on how to do it. everything is working great again. But he decided to trade it in on a 15 Pro Max.

 

[jz0309]

I think I understand. each morning I recharge the watch i have to sign back into the watch and it is than the autolog does not work anymore. My Mac goes to standby during the night and I have sign back into it. But was is puzzling to an Apple Watch nood is why does this Auto sign in stop working, and it seems I have reauthorize it,There is no issue with my 14 Pro Max. The AW as finally ended by wish for the touch ID to return.

I'll get it figured out and looking from the otherside it will be so simple.

there are quite a few threads about this topic here on AW as well as the Mc threads ...

I unlock my AW via my iPhone, rarely ever do I have to type in the passcode, seems only needed for OS updates initiated via AW.

I have a M1 MBA and a Mac Studio, unlocking via AW works 99% of the time. Mac requires password every 4 days or so as well as after reboot, just as iPhone. Re-authorization is not required, though there was a bug in one of the Ventura update that required it.
It has been working very reliable for me for several years now.

 

[transmaster]

This is what I have in the log in screen. This is what it shows even when I doesn't work.

 

[NoBoMac]

Guess at what is happening: Keychain has timed out.

Keychain Access > Edit > Change Settings for Keychain login...
(added "Access" for full application name)

If exceed the inactivity value and or have lock when sleeping is set, need to unlock the Keychain via password as Keychain contains unlock with Watch entries.

I occasionally see this if Mac has been asleep for a while (mine is set at 90 minutes, but have never paid attention to any correlation re time), but occasionally see a glitch when Bluetooth connection was slow to reestablish (just hit Esc and then try again usually fixes it).

 

[jz0309]

Guess at what is happening: Keychain has timed out.

Keychain > Edit > Change Settings for Keychain login...

If exceed the inactivity value and or have lock when sleeping is set, need to unlock the Keychain via password as Keychain contains unlock with Watch entries.

I occasionally see this if Mac has been asleep for a while (mine is set at 90 minutes, but have never paid attention to any correlation re time), but occasionally see a glitch when Bluetooth connection was slow to reestablish (just hit Esc and then try again usually fixes it).

interesting, didn't know there was such a setting.
maybe dumb question: neither on latest Ventura nor on latest iOS do I see the option to change settings for keychain login - can you please share where to find it?

FWIW, as I didn't know about this setting I've never (knowingly) changed it. I never shut my M1 MBA down other than reboot (OS updates, running latest public beta of Sonoma) nor my Mac Studio (latest Ventura) and the pattern of having to enter my login password (to enable TouchID or use AW) seems to be around 4 days or so.

 

[NoBoMac]

can you please share where to find it?

See previous post. It's within Keychain Access.app (and just verified it's in Ventura version), but no such thing for iOS.

the pattern of having to enter my login password (to enable TouchID or use AW) seems to be around 4 days or so.

Probably 6.5 days. TouchID and FaceID requires a password to be entered if one has not been entered in 6.5 days. Basically anything with a Secure Enclave. Watch, unsure, but could see something similar going on.

 

[transmaster]

Now it is working, consistently. I didn't do anything so yet another computer mystery.