# Near Lock — Lock & Unlock your Mac > iPhone proximity-based Mac auto-lock and unlock with enhanced security options. (iPhone/iPad app by Filip Duvnjak.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/near-lock/id886882252 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Filip Duvnjak](https://appshunter.io/developer/886748780) - Category: Utilities, Productivity - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 3.85/5 from 570 App Store ratings · 258 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.0 · 39 MB - Languages: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and 3 more - Released: 2014-12-11 - Data updated: 2026-08-28 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/near-lock/id886882252/reviews.md ## What is Near Lock? 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. ----------------- Unlock your Mac with your fingerprint (Touch ID), double knock, Apple Watch, notification widget or use the iPhone 3D touch. Try it out for FREE DOWNLOAD: To use Near Lock download the Mac application: www.nearlock.me FEATURES: • locking and unlocking your Mac automatically - depends on the distance between your iPhone and your Mac • easily set the distance on which your Mac should be locked or unlocked • for additional security use your fingerprint (Touch ID), double knock or Apple Watch for each Mac login authorization • manually lock and unlock your Mac with your iPhone • knock twice on your iPhone for a faster Mac login. • take a picture and receive a notification when anyone tries to login into your Mac. • track and see all recent Mac login and logout times. • WiFi Unlock - keep your Mac unlocked while connected to your selected WiFi network (e.g. Home network) • Clipboard - copy and paste text to and from your Mac • choose between sleep (hibernate) and screensaver when locking your Mac • receive notification when your Mac is locked or unlocked • unlock your Mac directly with the iPhone's interactive notifications - swipe left on received notifications • control your Mac through the iPhone Notification Center Widget - quickly lock and unlock your Mac from anywhere on your iOS device • control your audio: pause music when you log out, play when you login - works with Spotify, QuickTime, VLC, iTunes • to save your battery Near Lock uses Low Energy Bluetooth 4.0 for the communication between your devices • control Near Lock from your iOS device or your Mac's menu bar • make locking and unlocking your Mac faster with 3D Touch - only iPhone 6S or newer • use your iPhone to control multiple Macs • find my iPhone feature - in case your iPhone is lost you can now ping it from your Mac • authorize Mac tasks (such as installing new software) with Touch ID or by knocking on your iPhone • lock and unlock your Mac using Siri on your iPhone SECURITY: Your credentials and data are secured and never leave your devices - AES encryption. For additional protection, the bluetooth communication channel is internally encrypted. REQUIREMENTS: Near Lock requires a Mac that is running Mavericks or later. Your Mac also needs to support the latest Bluetooth LE technology. The following Macs support Bluetooth LE: • 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 FEEDBACK: Thanks to all the Near Lock users for the great feedback and suggestions! REWARDS: Near Lock won second place at the "Show Your App Award" in Munich If you enjoy using Near Lock, please take a moment and leave an honest review: it really helps. Near Lock - SECURITY MADE SIMPLE ## Key features - Automatic Mac locking and unlocking based on iPhone proximity - Fingerprint, double knock, and Apple Watch authentication - Manual lock and unlock via iPhone - Remote Mac control through iPhone notifications - Login attempt notifications and tracking - WiFi unlock for trusted networks - Clipboard synchronization between devices ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Pro Mode | $3.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Near Lock? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Convenient auto-lock/unlock - 👍 Simple and easy to use - 🔒 Improved security - 💡 Innovative concept - 🔥 Works well when it works **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent disconnections and sync issues - 🔋 Drains battery - 🤔 Inconsistent distance tracking - ❌ Unreliable, doesn't work consistently - 🤷‍♂️ Requires constant manual reconnection **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes or freezes - Incompatibility with newer macOS versions - Unexpected password entries in other apps - Bluetooth cache corruption issues **Most requested features** - Support for more devices (e.g. iPad, Apple Watch) - Improved background functionality - More customization options - Better error handling and troubleshooting ## Recent user reviews (10 of 258) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/near-lock/id886882252/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Unsupported, and it Shows *2026-08-12, version 5.1* TL;DR Don't even bother downloading to try The app hasn't been updated for 7 years. Explains why I'm not able to get the pro version since it's set up as an in-app purchase. Would've been nice for Near Lock Pro to simply have been a separate app so at least it might still function in the modern day, as all the free features worked fine for me otherwise. ### 5/5 — Great in the end *2025-12-18, version 5.1* Had a few issues at first getting it to work. Don’t know why but everything fell into place and now it’s one of the most useful apps. Mac setup to lock screen automatically and I use my phone to open it. Simple and very effective. ### 1/5 — Can’t get it to work *2025-10-02, version 5.1* Maybe I’m doing something wrong, I can lock and unlock my Mac from my iPhone manually but doesn’t work automatically when I walk away. ### 2/5 — Nice app, but problems with newer OS versions *2025-08-27, version 5.1* This is a nice app and I previously had it working on an older Mac mini pre Catalina. With my new kit running Sequoia the proximity lock doesn’t work. I’m hopeful of an update, but until then the best it offers is a button press and Face ID to lock/unlock my Mac. Not ideal or what its intended for. ### 1/5 — MacOS Version Not Available *2025-02-11, version 5.1* I can only see the iPad version on Apple Store on MacOS, why? ### 1/5 — Can’t get the pro version *2025-01-08, version 5.1* This app does what it supposed to do but I am trying to get the pro version and can’t do it. It just idles ### 1/5 — It does not work on my M2 Mac *2024-10-08, version 5.1* Paid but its not working tried all changing the distance does not work to auto lock. I can manually lock using the app. Also it does lock if bluetooth disconnected. but the distance feature of auto lock is not working. please fix this bug. ### 2/5 — Some functions *2024-10-08, version 5.1* Can only get it to work if I manually click on unlock / lock on the iPhone. On macOS, every time I start the computer a system notification pops up to notify of a new login item which is annoying ### 1/5 — Waste of time and money! *2024-09-13, version 5.1* I’ve contacted their support multiple times after purchasing the app, which doesn’t work, but it’s been almost a month without any response. Save your time and money—avoid this app and its developer. ### 3/5 — Won’t lock/ unlock Mac *2024-09-12, version 5.1* Wont work automatically even though I far enough away. Works using lock button at top Have emailed for support but no response after 2 days ## Frequently asked questions about Near Lock ### What does Near Lock do? Near Lock allows you to automatically lock your Mac when you walk away and unlock it when you approach, using your iPhone's proximity. It offers various authentication methods for added security and remote control features. ### How do I set up Near Lock? To use Near Lock, you need to download both the iPhone app and the accompanying Mac application from www.nearlock.me. Once installed on both devices, you can configure the proximity settings and security options. ### Is Near Lock free to use? The app offers a free trial period. While the core functionality is available for free, there are in-app purchases that may unlock additional features or enhance the user experience. ### What are the system requirements for Near Lock? Near Lock requires a Mac running Mavericks or later with Bluetooth LE technology. Compatible Macs include iMac (late 2012+), MacBook Air (2011+), MacBook Pro (2012+), Mac mini (2011+), and Mac Pro (late 2013+). ### What are the security features of Near Lock? Near Lock secures your credentials and data with AES encryption, ensuring they never leave your devices. The Bluetooth communication channel is also internally encrypted for additional protection. You can also use Touch ID, double knock, or Apple Watch for login authorization. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 5.1 — 2018-12-12 Thanks for using Near Lock! This release brings small bug fixes and performance improvements to help you lock and unlock your Mac with your iPhone. If you have any questions or need any help with the app, please contact us at support@nearlock.com. - lock and unlock your Mac using Siri shortcuts. - crash fix for the Apple Watch - bug fixes for reported user bugs - stability fixes ### 5.0 — 2018-11-14 Please update Near Lock on your Mac to use the latest features from: www.nearlock.me V5.0 - design updates - near Lock should now work reliably on ios11 - near Lock should now work reliably on ios12 - Apple Watch support ### 4.0 — 2017-03-15 Please update Near Lock on your Mac to use the latest features from: www.nearlock.me V4.0 MacOS Sierra update - near Lock should now work reliably on macOS Sierra. iOS 10 update: - near Lock should now work reliably on ios10. WiFi unlock: - you can now keep your Mac unlocked while connected to your selected WiFi (eg. home network) Mac Login photos - you can now set up Near Lock to take a photo after each Mac login Near Lock Tutorials - some features will show step-by-step tutorials to better explain how they work - mac Wake Unlock tutorial - near Lock automatic unlock tutorial - clipboard (copy paste) tutorial - mac Control info with explanations - mac advanced notification settings explanations Clipboard - you can now use Near Lock to copy and paste from and to your Mac (also using keyboard shortcuts or the notification widget on your iPhone) Notification widget - the iPhone widget got a new look and a new copy/paste functionality Mac notification settings explanation - improvement of the Near Lock layout and notification settings that can be found in the advanced settings of the Near Lock Mac app Authentication options (password prompt dialog such as when installing new software) - you can choose how you wish insert password with Near Lock once a password dialog shows on the Mac screen: - do not insert automatically - yes or no - touch ID or passcode - double knock - insert automatically (don’t ask) Additional options in the Mac menu bar settings - style the menu bar - show and hide some sections from the menu bar in the advanced settings Mac Control settings - set up Near Lock to track how and when you use your Mac - take photos on failed login attempts - take photos after each login Settings simplifications - removing some advanced settings to the iPhone settings V3.6 Detect failed login attempts into your Mac - receive an iPhone notification every time a wrong password in inserted into your Mac - take a photo on your Mac when a false password is inserted - generate and share a Near Lock Mugshot picture Unlock Mac with Knock (Double knock) - login into your Mac by double knocking on your iPhone: - unlock with double knock when you approach your Mac - unlock with double knock when password field appears on sleep screen - use knock to authorize Mac request: such as installing new software Track login times - you can now see all the login logout information - track how users login into your Mac: manually, with password, using Near Lock, Apple watch - a nice user interface of the Mac login tracking information Authorization requests settings - choose how you want to authorize the Mac authorization request: TouchID, knock, yes - no, none Near Lock today widget settings - set up today widget restrictions in the iPhone settings Added a new on-boarding Near Lock tutorial - a short, fun and simple tutorial about what Near Lock is about - a list of the most interesting features - this tutorial can be found on the Welcome screen V3.0 Multiple Macs - simulations control of all your Macs at the same time Ping your iPhone - in case you can not find your iPhone you can use the new ping feature from your Macs Login Logout tracking - you can now track when your Mac has been locked or unlocked - you will also get the login session time Apple watch - using the swipe menu you can lock and unlock your Mac by swiping 3D Touch - you can now lock and unlock you Mac with 3D Touch - you can lock and unlock all of your Mac's at the same time using 3Dtouch Touch ID - authorize user login with your fingerprint - user your fingerprint for more security Near Lock languages: - English - German - Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil) - Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) - Arabic - Spanish - French - Italian - Dutch - Japanese - Korean - Russian Near Lock - SECURITY MADE SIMPLE ### 3.6 — 2016-06-14 Please update Near Lock on your Mac to use the latest features. Detect failed login attempts into your Mac - receive an iPhone notification every time a wrong password in inserted into your Mac - take a photo on your Mac when a false password is inserted - generate and share a Near Lock Mugshot picture Unlock Mac with Knock (Double knock) - login into your Mac by double knocking on your iPhone: - unlock with double knock when you approach your Mac - unlock with double knock when password field appears on sleep screen - use knock to authorize Mac request: such as installing new software Track login times - you can now see all the login logout information - track how users login into your Mac: manually, with password, using Near Lock, Apple watch - a nice user interface of the Mac login tracking information Authorization requests settings - choose how you want to authorize the Mac authorization request: TouchID, knock, yes - no, none Near Lock today widget settings - set up today widget restrictions in the iPhone settings Added a new on-boarding Near Lock tutorial - a short, fun and simple tutorial about what Near Lock is about - a list of the most interesting features - this tutorial can be found on the Welcome screen Improvements - improved the distance calculation - improved the login, logout speed - improving the bluetooth connection login - improving the error messages for a clearer understanding of possible problems - apple watch speed improvements - overall improvements and speed V3.2 Authorise user using Near Lock - easily authenticate user with Near Lock when installing new software Bug fixes and improvements - updating the login tracker file location - updating the login logic after unlocking Mac with Near Lock - updating the Near Lock Mac icon - update logic bug fix - Chinese language crash fix - option to disable sound notifications - improving the Near Lock error wizard - adding additional Near Lock settings - adding an option to disable sound on lock/unlock - overall UX improvements Languages - adding Dutch - thank you Tim! - improving the current translations Bluetooth connection improvements - BLE stability enhancements - improved the proximity calculation V3.0 Multiple Macs - simulations control of all your Macs at the same time Ping your iPhone - in case you can not find your iPhone you can use the new ping feature from your Macs Login Logout tracking - you can now track when your Mac has been locked or unlocked - you will also get the login session time Apple watch - using the swipe menu you can lock and unlock your Mac by swiping 3D Touch - you can now lock and unlock you Mac with 3D Touch - you can lock and unlock all of your Mac's at the same time using 3Dtouch Touch ID - authorize user login with your fingerprint - user your fingerprint for more security Near Lock languages: - English - German - Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil) - Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) - Arabic - Spanish - French - Italian - Dutch - Japanese - Korean - Russian Near Lock - SECURITY MADE SIMPLE ### 3.2 — 2016-02-17 Please update Near Lock on your Mac to use the latest features. V3.2 Authorise user using Near Lock - easily authenticate user with Near Lock when installing new software Bug fixes and improvements - updating the login tracker file location - updating the login logic after unlocking Mac with Near Lock - updating the Near Lock Mac icon - update logic bug fix - chinese langauge crash fix - option to disable sound notifications - improving the Near Lock error wizzard - adding additional Near Lock settings - adding an option to disable sound on lock/unlock - overall UX improvements Languages - adding Dutch - thank you Tim! - improving the current localizables Bluetooth connection improvements - BLE stability enhancements - improved the proximity calculation V3.0 Multiple Macs - simulations control of all your Macs at the same time Ping your iPhone - in case you cant find your iPhone you can use the new ping feature from your Macs Login Logout tracking - you can now track when your Mac has been locked or unlocked - you will also get the login session time Apple watch - using the swipe menu you can lock and unlock your Mac by swiping 3D Touch - you can now lock and unlock you Mac with 3D Touch - you can lock and unlock all of your Mac's at the same time using 3Dtouch Touch ID - authorize user login with your fingerprint - user your fingerprint for more security Near Lock languages: - English - German - Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil) - Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) - Arabic - Spanish - French - Italian - Dutch - Japanese - Korean - Russian Near Lock - SECURITY MADE SIMPLE ## Apps similar to Near Lock | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [FullControl: Remote for Mac](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fullcontrol-remote-for-mac/id347857890) | 4.5 (219) | Free | Utilities | | [Jamf Unlock](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jamf-unlock/id1548795059) | 5.0 (6) | Free | Utilities | | [Remote Trackpad: Virtual Tool](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-trackpad-virtual-tool/id1572422325) | 3.7 (38) | Free | Utilities | | [File Explorer & Player](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-explorer-and-player/id1113281296) | 4.6 (124) | Free | Utilities | | [Cloud Battery](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cloud-battery/id1480648069) | 4.0 (1,500) | Free | Utilities | | [Off - Shutdown and Wake On Lan](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/off-shutdown-and-wake-on-lan/id529923825) | 4.6 (489) | Free | Utilities | ## More apps by Filip Duvnjak - [Passboard - Logins and Passwords Credentials Keyboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passboard-logins-and-passwords-credentials-keyboard/id1017164646) All apps by Filip Duvnjak: https://appshunter.io/developer/886748780 ## Related topics [near lock](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/near-lock) · [bleunlock](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bleunlock) · [mac pmss](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mac-pmss) · [close proximity](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/close-proximity) · [edda](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/edda) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*