Once both the Mac app and iOS app have been installed, turn on Bluetooth on both devices and wait for them to find one another. Tether is completely free and it does its job well. If you feel uncomfortable giving out your password, then these apps are not for you. The other thing to note is that you need to give these apps your Mac password so it can unlock the computer for you. This can help you decide whether or not you want to spend the pennies to get one of the better paid ones.

Saying that, one of the three options here is completely free. Without the iOS app, the whole thing will obviously not work, which is where the developer makes their money. So the prices quoted below are only for the iOS app. The Mac app is normally free, but you have to pay for the iOS app. It should be noted before we start that there are normally two components to these services – the Mac app and the iOS app.

There are many Android apps that do this, but since I only have Apple products (or “fruit shop toys” to quote my wife), this article is based solely on using an iPhone to unlock your MacOS computer. Pairing two Internet-connected devices, so one can be used to control the other (for example, using your mobile phone as a TV remote control or to listen to music on your favorite music player).Īnother use, which is the subject of this article, is to use your mobile phone to lock and unlock your computer. Pairing two Internet-connected devices for the purpose of transferring files from one to the other. Pairing a wireless headset with your mobile phone, so you can answer phone calls by tapping the headset and looking as if you have gone completely insane by talking to yourself.

To put it simply, Bluetooth allows two devices to connect (“pair”) with one another. I’m sure you already know what Bluetooth is (and if you do, you can read a really complicated technical description over at Wikipedia to learn more), but for those who are not so knowledgeable, here’s a brief description. Try typing that in 10-20 times a day (getting it wrong a lot!) and soon you will get rather tired of it!īut having no password at all is not an option so what else can you do to secure your computer which your wrists and hands will thank you for? Why, use Bluetooth of course. Especially if (and it should) your password is something along the lines of.

But if you are in the habit of going for lots of coffee, or going to regular meetings, it can be a real pain having to log in and out of your computer all the time.

Lock on screen saver mac