Logging in and out of my MacBook Pro has edver been a real problem. I mean let’s be honest, there’s nothing particularly complicated about punching in a password every time you want to log on and off your computer. (Unless you keep a long, super-secure password, in which case it’s going to be a real chore to keep re-typing every time you want to log back in.)
Well, Kane Cheshire’s new app for iOS and Mac, MacID, wants to take away the need to type in your password altogether and use your iPhone’s Touch ID to unlock your Mac instead.
Once you’ve installed the free Mac app found on Kane’s website, you just download the iOS counterpart (£2.99/$3.99) and run through a quick setup process. It’s super simple, and I managed to get everything set up in under a minute.
Step 1: Choosing iOS device to connect to your Mac.
Step 2: Type in your password so that MacID can log in for you.
Now here’s where things get interesting.
As soon as you wake your Mac with a tap of the trackpad or keyboard, your iPhone automatically wakes too and presents you with a notification, asking for you to unlock your Mac. All you have to do is swipe the notification, tap on “Authorize”, place your thumb on Touch ID and that’s it, your Mac will unlock instantly. After a whole day of constant use the MacID app has performed flawlessly throughout — I’m seriously impressed.
So why would you buy MacID?
For one, the fact that MacID makes it incredibly easy to have a safe & secure password on your Mac (without ever needing to type it in) is very convenient. Adding to that, the ability to set up MacID with multiple Macs is really useful for someone like me who has Macs at home and at work. Lastly, MacID can even be used with older iPhones without Touch ID — you just use the device’s passcode instead.
It would be nice if you could unlock the Mac without actually needing to wake it — I’m under the impression that this is a limitation based on OS X rather than MacID itself — but it’s a useful app I would recommend you to try nonetheless.
If you want to know how I’m getting on with the app, drop me a line on Twitter!
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