BLEUnlock is a free, open-source macOS utility that watches for a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device — typically your iPhone or a smartwatch — and automatically locks or unlocks your Mac based on how close that device is to your computer.
What is BLEUnlock?
BLEUnlock is a lightweight menu-bar daemon that replaces the awkward ritual of typing your password every time you step away from your desk. It listens to the RSSI (signal strength) of any paired BLE device and triggers macOS lock or unlock events as you walk toward or away from your machine. No subscription, no cloud dependency, no catch — it lives quietly in your menu bar and just works.
The project is actively maintained on GitHub and distributed freely under an open-source license. Because it leans entirely on macOS's own Bluetooth stack and screen-lock APIs, it stays out of the way of your system security rather than bypassing it.
What does BLEUnlock do best?
BLEUnlock's strongest point is its set-and-forget nature: once you pick your phone as the BLE signal source and dial in the distance thresholds, you genuinely stop thinking about locking your Mac. Step into a meeting — Mac locks. Come back to your desk — Mac wakes and, after a brief pause, unlocks. No Touch ID tap, no password prompt.
- Works with any BLE peripheral — your iPhone, an Apple Watch, a fitness tracker, or even a coin-sized BLE beacon in your pocket will do.
- Fine-grained RSSI thresholds — separate sliders for the lock and unlock trigger distances prevent false positives in apartments or open offices where neighbours' phones drift in and out of range.
- Passive unlock integration — on supported setups it can call the pmset Wake passphrase path, meaning your Mac wakes and authenticates without an extra tap.
- Tiny footprint — no background helper agent, no kernel extension, no camera. It runs as a single macOS process with no elevated privileges beyond Bluetooth access.
Is BLEUnlock free?
Yes — BLEUnlock is entirely free to download and use. It is distributed as an open-source project on GitHub; you can install it via Homebrew Cask (brew install --cask bleunlock) or download the latest release DMG directly from the repository. There is no paid tier, no Pro upsell, and no nag screen.
Who should use BLEUnlock?
BLEUnlock is ideal for developers, writers, and knowledge workers who sit at a Mac in a shared space — an open-plan office, a co-working spot, or a home with other people around. If you carry your iPhone everywhere (and virtually every Mac user does), the cost of setup is about three minutes, and the payoff is that you never absent-mindedly leave an unlocked machine behind again.
It is not the right fit for a locked-down corporate environment where IT policy mandates password authentication on every wake — BLEUnlock's automatic unlock relies on macOS's accessibility and security APIs in a way that some MDM configurations will override. If you manage your own machine, though, it's a no-brainer.
What are the best BLEUnlock alternatives?
The most comparable native feature is Apple Watch Auto Unlock, which ships with macOS and handles lock/unlock seamlessly — but it requires an Apple Watch specifically, and many people carry only an iPhone. Near Lock is a polished third-party alternative with a companion iOS app, a refined UI, and extra features like app launching on arrival; it costs a few dollars but is worth considering if you want something more GUI-driven. Bluetooth Screen Lock is another menu-bar option in the same space. BLEUnlock's edge over all of them is that it is open source, Homebrew-installable, and supports virtually any BLE peripheral rather than requiring Apple ecosystem hardware.
How does BLEUnlock compare to Apple Watch Auto Unlock?
Apple Watch Auto Unlock is more seamless — Apple has deep hooks that let the watch authenticate your keychain directly, not just dismiss the lock screen. BLEUnlock matches the core lock/wake behavior but without keychain integration, meaning you may still need to confirm saved passwords the first time after a wake. The tradeoff is flexibility: BLEUnlock works with an iPhone in your pocket, a BLE tag on your keyring, or any other BLE radio, making it useful for the majority of Mac users who don't own an Apple Watch or prefer to charge their watch elsewhere during the day.
