Security issue for Apple Watch?

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Hi all,
I have an original Apple Watch (42) and have noticed a potential security issue lately. Or was it my imagination?
When putting on the watch after charging it, the lock icon was showing on the watch face, but swiping to access the numeric grid in order to enter my code, the watch just opened without entering any code at all.
This has*happened twice now. Is it possible that the recent OSX High Sierra security debacle has affected the watch?
Anyone else seen this issue?
 
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chscag

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What would the security issue regarding "Root" access and passwords have to do with an Apple Watch which uses an entirely different operating system?
 
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By chance have you had your iPhone unlocked - like you have picked it up and entered your pin, used touch ID or Face ID? The watch will let you bypass entering a pin if the iPhone it is paired to is unlocked and close by.

You can reproduce it. Just unlock your iPhone and then put your watch on. It should bypass the pin entry.

Lisa
 
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Normally I have to have the watch on first, so it detects that it is on my wrist by heartbeat, then unlocking my iPhone unlocks the Watch automatically. I've not had it work the other way, unlock iPhone first then put on Watch and it unlocks--nope, doesn't work that way for me.
 
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That works too Jake but it also works - for me- the way I described above. I do have an iPhone X and AW3. I am not sure if that makes a difference. It freaked me out the first time it happened but I played with it and discovered I could reproduce it.

Lisa
 
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What would the security issue regarding "Root" access and passwords have to do with an Apple Watch which uses an entirely different operating system?

Er...... that is why I was asking the question on this forum. Obviously, I am not a software guru.
 
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By chance have you had your iPhone unlocked - like you have picked it up and entered your pin, used touch ID or Face ID? The watch will let you bypass entering a pin if the iPhone it is paired to is unlocked and close by.

You can reproduce it. Just unlock your iPhone and then put your watch on. It should bypass the pin entry.

Lisa
I did think about that scenario, but no, iPhone was nowhere near the watch and was locked.
 
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Lisa, I have tried what you say works for you and it NEVER works for me. I have an 8 and AW2, so maybe it's something new in the X and 3. In fact, unless the AW and 8 are in the same WiFi network even my method doesn't work. They don't seem to directly communicate, but use the Wifi as a go-between. Maybe it's the LTE components that are letting the AW3 communicate with the X?
 
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neilf, I have the AW2 and cannot duplicate your scenario at all. Are you brushing left to right or right to left? Left handed or Right handed setting for watch? What watch face are you using?
 
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neilf, I have the AW2 and cannot duplicate your scenario at all. Are you brushing left to right or right to left? Left handed or Right handed setting for watch? What watch face are you using?

Left hand setting. Utility watch face. If I remember correctly you have to swipe down to access the unlocking number grid. Not sure what you mean by brushing left to right or right to left?
This doesn't happen every time I unlock the watch. Only remember seeing it twice. It may well be me being old and senile but I don't think so.
Just to clarify, when I put the watch on in the morning, my iPhone is in another part of the house. I never use the iPhone before I put the watch on, so it must be locked, as that is how it is set up.
 
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OK, thanks for the information. All I have to do to get to the unlocking grid is to tap on the face of the watch while locked. I took your early post to mean swiping left or right, not up and down. I've just tried an up/down swipe on the locked face and on the number pad with the expected result that the watch stayed locked. So, at this point, I can't help you much with what you are seeing, sorry.
 
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Neilf - I can't reproduce what you're experiencing (without bringing the iPhone into play). Consider unpairing and re-pairing.

Lisa/Jake,

I have an original Apple Watch and an iPhone X.

My results:

Phone locked - put watch on - both remain locked.
Phone locked - put watch on - unlock phone - watch unlocks (works if on or off wifi).
Unlock phone - put watch on - watch unlocks (only works if both are on same wifi).

It would seem to me that both being on the same wifi and the phone being unlocked there is a trust decision being made to allow unlocking of the watch. It also appears as though the factor here is the iPhone X rather than the AW version.
I haven't tested if time is a factor and whether the phone being recently unlocked has an impact over it being unlocked for a longer period of time.
 

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I have an iPhone 7 and AW 3 and I originally followed these instructions;
On the Apple Watch

Open the Settings app.
Scroll to the bottom of the list and tap on Passcode.
Slide the switch next to Unlock with iPhone to the On position.

This always works for me. But as iclev has already said you can do the same thing on the iPhone AW app

Just in case anyone is unaware (sorry if I'm preaching to the converted here) One of the things I really like about my AW is that it unlocks my MBP.

How to enable Auto Unlock on your Mac

Click on the Apple icon () in the upper left corner of your screen.
Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
Click on Security & Privacy.
Click on General.
Tick the box to Allow your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac. Auto Unlock will activate; this will take a few seconds.
 

chscag

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@Rod:

Appreciate the reply, however, the thread is more than 18 months old.
 

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