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benmattison
July 29, 2022
Question

Apple Watch Unlock Stopped Working

  • July 29, 2022
  • 58 replies
  • 7676 views

Hi,

I have a newish M1 MacBook Pro and a Apple Watch. When I first installed 1Password on it, unlocking with Apple Watch worked perfectly but at some point it stopped prompting me and I haven't been able to bring it back with my usual routine, which are turn it off in 1Password, turn off "Use Your Apple Watch to Unlock Your Mac," and then turn them both on. Any other steps to suggest?


1Password Version: 8.8.0
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: macOS 12.4
Browser:_ Not Provided

58 replies

benmattison
November 22, 2022

Thanks @andrew_l_1P. That is helpful. I'll assume that responses directly to me will include a tag and uncheck the others.

andrew_l_1P
1Password Employee
November 22, 2022

Happy to help, @benmattison! You're spot on, replies from the team here will ping you directly so you won't be missing anything from us by unchecking other options. 😊

November 23, 2022

@benmattison I hear you.

My workaround is to:
* deselect Notify me when people comment on my discussions.
* Select Notify me when people comment on my bookmarked discussions.

...but you do have to remember to bookmark your new posts etc.

November 23, 2022

@1P_Dave, you mentioned "Out of curiosity, does this happen when you wake the Mac from sleeping? If you leave the Mac running and prevent it from sleeping for 10-30 minutes then does Apple Watch unlock eventually start working again on it's own?"

This is exactly what happens with mine, except that in my case we're not talking putting the machine in sleep, but rather screen lock with display off, not full on sleep. (I have a MBP that is connected to power source pretty much 24/7). Scenario is always this:

When I go to sleep or go away from the computer for a night's sleep, the machine goes to display off (and locks the screen) after 30 minutes. When I wake up in the morning, I can 100% of the time (well with the exception when it once in a while asks for a password to enable Mac unlock with Apple Watch, but this is like once a week or so and I think normal behavior) unlock the Mac with the Apple Watch.

However, nearly 100% of the times after waking up from my sleep in the morning, I cannot unlock 1Password with Apple Watch (and when checking, Apple Watch unlock is not enabled in 1Password settings, but rather the Set Up Apple Watch button is showing). However, I don't need to enable or disable anything in the 1Password or Mac settings, but rather the 1Password unlock with Apple Watch starts automatically working after maybe 10-30 minutes, after the Mac has been unlocked with Apple Watch.

Interestingly, having the machine's display off with screen lock during the day, for shorter periods of time than a night's sleep, the Mac unlock with Apple Watch still continues to work normally, but ALSO, most of the time, not always though, 1Password unlock with Apple Watch works instantly after you have unlocked Mac with the Apple Watch. There's no 10-30 minutes delay like above.

This absolutely never happened with Monterey for me (I'm on 1Password 7 still). This started happening after upgrading to Ventura. Anyway, maybe a future macOS update fixes it for me, or maybe I need to do some of the troubleshooting mentioned earlier in the thread, but we'll see, I'll get to that when it starts bothering me enough.

1P_Tommy
1Password Employee
November 23, 2022

@mixture

I've documented this behavior for the team and yes it is specific to Ventura from everyone I have talked with.

Interestingly, having the machine's display off with screen lock during the day, for shorter periods of time than a night's sleep, the Mac unlock with Apple Watch still continues to work normally,

Correct I've seen the same behavior reported.

At this time you can try the steps above if you wish but I've tried them with several folks while trying to nail this down for the team and none provided relief. I was able to replicate this on my own device. I don't want to discourage you but only allow you to keep some free time during this holiday season.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

ref: dev/core/core#18393

November 23, 2022

@1P_Dave I've had it working OK for the last 24 hours and time will tell. I did a lot of research online and find a page that seems to have worked (as I wrote time will tell).

well, that didn't last long :-(

November 23, 2022

Just chiming in to say that I'm seeing the same issue on 13.0.1 and 1Password 7.9.6. I'm able to unlock my Mac with my Apple Watch when I wake the screen for the first time each day, but 1Password gives the "1Password can't unlock via TouchID with the screen closed" message (this is an M1 Pro 14" MacBook Pro). I have to type my 1Password code to unlock it, and when I check 1Password Preferences, the Set Up Apple Watch button is there, but it takes me to the "Privacy and Security" section of System Settings, but with nothing obvious to do there (I assume because that is actually handled by the OS itself).

I don't think this happened with 13.0, only after installing 13.0.1.

VirgilBoy
November 24, 2022

I am also having exactly the same problem recently. The Apple Watch unlocks the Mac just fine, but does not unlock 1PW as it should frequently. As mentioned in other comments, toggling the system setting for the Apple Watch unlock off, and then back on cures it temporarily.

When you contact Apple support and they find out that the Apple Watch unlocks the Mac and authorizes installations, etc., they are just going to toss the ball back to 1Password. IMHO!!

November 24, 2022

When you contact Apple support and they find out that the Apple Watch unlocks the Mac and authorizes installations, etc., they are just going to toss the ball back to 1Password. IMHO!!

I'm not so sure.
Do you have any other apps that should also unlock with your watch?
I do. When it stops working for 1Password, it stops working for all my other apps as well (even though it still works for the Mac itself). I think this is may well be an Apple issue.

...but it's so frustrating that it makes me not want to use 1Passsord as you lose time waiting for the Watch and then have to type the password in anyway :-(

@1P_Tommy Is there anyway that 1Password can complain to Apple given you guys have a relationship and will carry more weight than us as individuals?

November 29, 2022

@1P_Tommy Is there anyway that 1Password can complain to Apple given you guys have a relationship and will carry more weight than us as individuals?