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How to Unlock Your Computer Automatically With Your Phone

by Fox Van Allen on March 13, 2015

Do you use your computer at coffee shops, on airplanes or in any other public location? If so, it’s important to keep your computer digitally locked and protected when you’re not around. Thieves are everywhere, and the only thing worse than having your laptop stolen is having the personal data stored on it raided as well. With access to your email inbox, a thief could access financial statements, reset important online banking or e-commerce website passwords, hack into your social media accounts or worse.

Entering your password over and over again can be a hassle, however. Thankfully, you don’t need to – there are a number of solutions for PCs, Macs and Chromebooks that let you automatically lock and unlock your computer via Bluetooth based on whether your smartphone is nearby. Better yet, many of these options are available absolutely free. Take a look at our favorite proximity locks below!

Tether iPhone proximity lock appFor Macs

If you want a convenient, free automatic unlocking option for your Mac, take a look at the new iPhone app (and companion Mac app) Tether. It uses Bluetooth 4.0 to automatically secure your computer when you walk away from it with your phone, and automatically unlock it when you return. Set up is easy and completes in just a minute – download and install the app on your iPhone and Mac, enable Bluetooth on each, and follow the prompts on the screens of each device. You will need to enter and store your computer password in Tether, but the information is stored locally (via OS X Keychain) and is never shared over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

You learn more about the Tether apps and how they work, and download the Tether apps directly by visiting hellotether.com.

For Chromebooks

If you have a Chromebook, you’ll definitely want to check out Smart Lock for Chrome. It’s a free, built-in feature that works with Android phones running Lollipop 5.0 or later, and it’s free and simple to set up. Make sure your Chromebook is connected to the Internet and click your account picture in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Click Settings > Show advanced settings. Look towards the “Smart Lock” section and choose Set up. You’ll then follow the on-screen instructions to pair your Android phone. You’ll need to make sure your phone and Chromebook are close to each other, and that both have Bluetooth turned on. When the pairing is complete, you’ll get a notification on your Smartphone. That’s all there is to it!

GateKeeper proximity lock for Windows PCFor Windows PCs

Unfortunately, it’s incredibly difficult to find a workable free smartphone unlocking solution for Windows PCs. But that’s not to say you can’t enjoy proximity locking – you’ll just have to pay for a physical keyfob instead. We think GateKeeper is worth a look – it’s a physical Bluetooth proximity USB and keychain lock combo that automatically keeps your PC (or Mac) secure when you’re not around. It also doubles as a Bluetooth location tracker.

There are a few catches, though. GateKeeper is selling on Amazon for $42.50, which is quite pricey when compared to the free options available for Chromebooks and Macs. It’s also getting mixed reviews on Amazon, with owners reporting that it can be buggy and occasionally suffers from lag. Still, it appears to be best option currently available for PC owners – for now, at least.

[Image credits: Tether, GateKeeper]


Topics

Tips & How-Tos, Computers and Software, Computers & Accessories, Accessories, Phones and Mobile


Discussion loading

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From Jim White on March 13, 2015 :: 1:43 pm


I’m glad I learned about your site here at CCSF.Edu in the computer librarian classes! Now my young grandson asks me about all things Techlicious! Shipshape info, a lifeboat to students, travellers and just fun to read!  Salutes!

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From MADVISER on March 15, 2015 :: 4:18 pm


Thanks for this article. This is not known before.

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From Michael Grivas on September 30, 2015 :: 4:14 am


“incredibly difficult” is too much or too biased.

http://btprox.sourceforge.net/  runs well for windows, for free and open-source (not any Mac tricks).

blueproximity exists in most Linux distros’ standard repositories.

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From Josh Kirschner on September 30, 2015 :: 12:03 pm


Looks like the utility was built for XP/Vista. Have you tried it under Windows 8 or 10?

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From Michael Grivas on October 15, 2015 :: 8:03 am


In my Windows 7, there is no need for extra software. It is already there, in the BlueTooth device window, just under the “Music and Audio” part, there is a “Proximity” part.
Just check the box and set the distance at which the computer locks.  That works brilliantly well (with a possible negligible bug after unlock).

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From Working on October 02, 2015 :: 9:04 am


I can just confirm that it works on Windows 10.

I had some initial issues pairing my phone, but that’s not on this software’s account.

You do have to pair with the OS for this software to work correct. Else it cannot find your phone after restarting the application.

After i paired with Windows, the software seems to work brilliantly. So far. smile

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From Johan Brodin on July 24, 2016 :: 2:59 pm


For a windows 10 PC you can use the iPhone app PC lock http://pclockit.com/

It auto locks & unlocks your PC using Bluetooth low energy to detect if the phone is close to the PC

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From Daan on October 01, 2016 :: 5:01 am


If you have an Android phone and a Windows PC you can also try KeyLock: https://brabonet.com/?q=keylock

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brabonet.keylock

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