Technological innovations have grown and improved widely these days. Together with this comes our necessity of securing our personal computers and devices with passwords. However, it is quite inconvenient for us to type in the password every time we want to open our device.
Thankfully, experts have found a new and more convenient way to lock and unlock phones – through the fingerprint scanning.
The first ever mobile phones to use fingerprint scanning was the Toshiba G500 and G900 in 2007. 5 years later, Apple got the service of a company that specializes on fingerprint reading and identification management software, the AuthenTec. Later on, Apple released their first ever smartphone to have fingerprint scanning, or what we called now the Touch ID in iOS devices.
Touch ID, a fingerprint recognition feature designed by Apple Inc., has been a part of all iPhones since their first debut on the iPhone 5s last 2013 and on all iPads since the iPad Air 2.
Touch ID is really a great help in convenience for those people with iPhones but how about those huge Apple fans who also have their Mac computers? Fortunately, app developers, with the approval of Apple Inc., have developed a way for their users to easily unlock their Mac computers using their iPhones, iPads, and/or Apple watches.
The following are the six best recommended apps that allows unlocking Mac computers through iOS devices like iPhones, iPads, and Apple watches:
1. MacID
MacID is an application developed and maintained by one person only named Kane Cheshire, which allows iOS users to lock and unlock Mac computers, control audio, and more, with just using your iPads, iPhones, and/or Apple watches.
This app uses the iPhone Touch ID to perform its locking and unlocking operations. This app also allows automatic locking of Mac computers once your iOS device moves away from it using the Proximity Lock.
For devices without Touch ID, like the iPhone 5c and below, however, MacID will ask for the phone’s passcode instead.
Mac ID can also be used to set new unlock settings for your Mac computer. Moreover, MacID also allows you to control audios, share clipboard contents, and start screensavers between your Mac computer and iOS device. Another feature of MacID is that it allows you to play music from your iTunes library right from your iOS device.
Currently, MacID has a new version of MacID 2.0, or the Unlox. Though Unlox is already available in the App Store, MacID 1 is still available since the Unlox requires devices running iOS 11.2 or newer.
Despite the fact of being one of the pricy apps to use, MacID is still the first choice for recommendation as it is versatile and reliable when it comes to locking and unlocking Mac computers through iOS devices.
Price: US$3.99 (App Store) / Free (Mac App)
Compatibility: Mac with Bluetooth LE running OS X 10.10 or newer
iOS device with Bluetooth LE running iOS 8 or newer
2. Knock 2.0
Knock 2.0, created by William Henderson and Jon Schlossberg, is a free update of its previous version, the Knock 1.0, launched last 2015 that unlocks your Mac without a password.
This app interestingly features the “knocking” on your iPhone twice to unlock your Mac, even when it’s inside your pocket! Just make sure that you’re close enough to the Bluetooth connection established between your iPhone and your Mac.
Knock 2.0 also allows you to unlock your Mac computer through your Apple Watch. Just tap your watch once and voila! Your Mac computer is opened! Your Apple Watch also automatically locks your Mac computer as you walk away from it, and unlocks as you go near it, with the use of the Knock Glance. So leaving your iPhone behind is not much of a problem when you have your Apple Watch with you.
This app also claims of not draining your iPhone’s battery even if you are using it all day every day for it uses Bluetooth Low Energy, a new technology that draws very little power, as Knock securely interacts with your Mac computer.
Price: US$4.99 (App Store) / Free (Mac App)
Compatibility: Mac with Bluetooth LE
iOS 7 or newer
3. Near Lock
Near Lock is another application, developed by Filip Duvnjak and designed by Ivan Suvak Martinovic, which allows you to lock and unlock your Mac automatically using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
Through this app, your Mac computer can be automatically locked when walking away from it, and unlocks when you go near it. It seems to somehow counter its name, right?
This app gives you the option to let you set the distance on which your Mac should be locked or unlocked. Near Lock also allows you to control multiple Macs from one single device, share clipboard contents, take photos on failed login attempts in case of intruders, and many more features.
This app also features the background mode in which the app can run even when it is in your pocket. However, the Background Mode is available only in the PRO version of Near Lock that can be bought through an in-app purchase.
Price: Free (App Store and Mac App)
Compatibility: OS X Mavericks or newer
iOS 7 or newer
4. Tether
Tether is another free application, made by a UK-based digital innovation studio called FiaFo, for hassle-free unlocking of Mac computers. It functions the same with Near Lock – automatically locks your Mac when you are away and unlocks it when you are near.
Although it is free to download, Tether includes access to extra functionality through add-ons available as in-app purchases in your iPhone. An example of the add-ons is the customization of the app which includes having access to your Mac’s Apple Menu and controlling media playback.
Price: Free (App Store and Mac App)
Compatibility: Mac running OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 or newer
iOS 8 or newer
5. MacLock
MacLock is another application, developed by Giorgos Moustakas, that uses iPhone’s Touch ID and your Apple Watch to lock and unlock your Mac computer. What makes it different from the rest is the shaking feature. You can shake your iPhone to lock your Mac, or you can just simply tap your Mac’s icon on your phone.
Also, with MacLock on your Apple Watch, you can restart or shut your Mac down even if it is far from you. This unique feature comes in handy especially when you need to do an errand or when you just simply forgot to shut your computer down before you sleep.
Price: US$3.99 (App Store) / Free (Mac App)
Compatibility: Mac with Bluetooth LE
iOS 8 or newer
6. KeyTouch
KeyTouch is the cheapest among the mentioned paid apps. It was developed by two very young Dutch software developers namely Erik van der Plas and Tom de Ruiter when they were just 13 and 14 years old, respectively.
Just like how the MacID and Knock 2.0 function, KeyTouch also uses Touch ID from an iOS device to lock and unlock your Mac computer.
What made this application different from the abovementioned is that KeyTouch allows you to login to websites like Safari, and input passwords in password prompts.
Price: Free (App Store and Mac App)
Compatibility: Mac running OS X Yosemite or newer
iOS 8 or newer
So, there you have it. If just mere lock and unlocking Mac computers are your priority, you can choose to try using the free applications first to see what works best for your device.
You would not need to worry about the security of your data, most especially your passwords, because all of these applications store your data in the Apple Keychain and with heavy encryption.
The above mentioned are just some of the most recommended applications that Apple users can use to lock and unlock their Mac computers using their iPhones, iPads, and/or Apple Watches without the hassle of typing in the password. Surely, Apple Inc. and app developers have been serving their customers with determination for better comfort and ease.
