Near Lock is a great little app that runs on late model Macs, iPhones, and the Apple Watch, and allows you to lock and unlock your Mac when your iPhone comes within a certain range. It works great, and for the next few days, Near Lock PRO is free!
Use your iPhone to lock and unlock your Mac automatically. When you walk away from your Mac, it will be automatically locked. Once you approach your workplace, Near Lock will unlock your Mac.
You can easily set the distance on which your Mac should automatically be locked or unlocked. For additional security use Touch ID or Apple Watch to confirm each Mac login.
Simply download the Mac app from the Near Lock website, and then install the Near Lock iPhone/Apple Watch app from the App Store. After a short guided setup on both the Mac and your iPhone, you’re ready to go. After setting the app up on the iPhone, you’ll be asked to buy the PRO mode features. If the free offer is still in place, it’ll show the price as free on your device’s screen. Go ahead a grab that. The PRO upgrade is usually $3.99. So, free is a heckuva deal!
PRO mode offers background mode, where you just set up devices, and Near Lock takes care of the rest. The app works even when your iPhone is in your pocket. Of course, you can always launch the app if you want to add new devices.
Apple Watch users will want to go into the Watch app on their iPhone and make sure the app gets installed on the Watch, and that Glances are enabled.
I’ve been using the app all morning, and it has worked near flawlessly, only failing to unlock my MacBook once, when my iPhone was in my pocket. (It gave me the chance to try unlocking it from my Apple Watch, so no biggie!)
Compatibility requirements are as follows:
- Apple Watch (Not Required, but it is Nice!)
- iPhone 4S or newer
- iMac late 2012 or newer
- MacBook Air 2011 or newer
- MacBook Pro 2012 or newer
- Mac mini 2011 or newer
- Mac Pro late 2013 or newer
- OS X Mavericks or newer
- iOS 7 or newer
The developer says that your credentials and data are secured and never leave your devices – AES encryption. For additional protection, the Bluetooth communication channel is internally encrypted.
Near Lock for the Mac is available for download from the Near Lock website. [DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK] Near Lock for the iPhone and Apple Watch is available as a free download in the App Store. [GET IT HERE] Don’t forget to enable the Pro features while the in-app purchase is still free.
