1Password Apple Watch Unlock Not Reliable

Hello @Joelc! 👋

I'm sorry that Apple Watch unlock is working unreliably with 1Password on your Mac. Does this happen after waking your Mac from sleep? Or just randomly throughout the day?

The next time that you're unable to unlock 1Password using your Apple Watch, can you check to see if you can still use your Apple Watch to authenticate system prompts:

1. Click on the  in the menu bar.
2. Click System Settings.
3. Click Privacy & Security.
4. Click Advanced.
5. As a temporary troubleshooting step, turn on "Log out automatically after inactivity".
6. You'll now see a macOS system prompt asking you to confirm the action. You should receive a double-tap notification on your Apple Watch.

Are you able to use the Apple Watch to authenticate the macOS system prompt? This will tell me more about the situation. Once this test is complete you can turn off "Log out automatically after inactivity" if you wish.

-Dave

@1P_Dave appreciate and will do over the next few days (as I had reverted to my Apple keyboard with TouchID out of frustrations).

Thank you! The team will keep an eye out for your email. 🙂

-Dave

Dave, good morning, I hope you are enjoying the long weekend in Canada.

I preformed the text that you requested and note the following:

a) I was not able to use the Apple Watch to authenticate the macOS system prompt.

b) I then tested whether I able to use the Apple Watch to unlock other applications (i.e., Quicken for macOS, etc.). I was not able to do so.

c) I then tested whether my Apple Watch was able to unlock my MBP which normally works. I was not able to do so.

I next went to System Settings -> Touch ID & Password -> Apple Watch and toggled the switch for my Apple Watch Ultra off -> on. The Apple Watch was then able to authenticate / unlock everything.

With the above noted I am assuming you will respond that it is a macOS / watchOS problem rather a specific 1Password problem.

Worth noting, it is a shame that at the Apple Watch authentication is not reliable whereas the Apple Keyboard with Touch ID is reliable (i.e., I have never had a problem using it).

Look forward to your response.

@Joelc

Thank you for the reply! I hope that you're enjoying the long weekend! 🙂

The behaviour that you've described sounds similar to an issue that our developers discovered in macOS and filed a bug report with Apple for. If the Apple Watch is also not working with the macOS system prompt then it won't work with 1Password.

I would also encourage you to report the issue to Apple from your end as well so that they're aware that it's affecting you and to see if Apple can offer any workarounds or suggestions in your case: Official Apple Support

Our developers have a work item open to investigate ways to improve Apple Watch reconnection resilience and I've added your report there. For the time being, if you wait a few minutes after waking you Mac from sleep, without letting it go back to sleep, then other customers have reported that Apple Watch functionality can return without having to turn it off and back on again.

Let me know if you have any questions.

-Dave

ref: dev/core/core#27438

@1P_Dave

I appreciate the response and sadly, like you, I am spending part of the long weekend working.

Once again, much thanks.

I'm happy to help! Let me know if there's anything else that I can help you with in the future. 🙂

-Dave