No need for passwords to log into your Mac: all you will need is your iPhone or Watch
The next big OS X update, 10.12, is coming with all sorts of amazing features for Mac users, including a desktop version of Siri, whose integration has been rumored for some time, and highly anticipated. Another big upgrade we’ll see on MacBooks and iMacs, is the ability to log into a Mac computer, using a nearby iOS device, such as an iPhone, an iPad, or an Apple Watch, using Touch-ID.
Not surprisingly, Apple is unlikely to implement a built-in fingerprint reader on the MacBook, or even an external version on desktop systems like the iMac. By this token, the Cupertino tech giant is working on a way to allow Mac users to unlock their desktop systems by using their fingerprint on their iPhones, or simple proximity to an Apple Watch, using near-field communication via Bluetooth LE.
Apple is expected to unveil Mac OS X 10.12, on Monday, June 13th 2016, at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, opening at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, in San Francisco. In September of last year, Apple took the stage of the historic auditorium, for its “Hey Siri, give us a hint” keynote presentation, in which the iPad Pro was unveiled.
By introducing a way to unlock Mac OS X with an external device, Apple is finally bringing two-step authentication to the desktop, making Macs more secure, especially in environments where an extra layer of security is necessary, such as in a workplace setting, or in school.
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Up to now, the concept of unlocking a Mac from iOS has been introduced through the Knock app, a third party application that allows to unlock a nearby computer running Mac OS X, and a companion app installed on the machine, from an external iOS device, like an iPhone or an iPad, where Knock is running. Apple’s own native implementation, however, isn’t likely to require a separate app, as the unlocking mechanism is expected to be hard-coded into Mac OS X 10.12, as well as be part of the next iOS update.