A pedestrian wearing a protective mask uses his mobile phone while passing an advertisement for an Apple iPhone on Orchard Road in Singapore.
Wei Leng Tay | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Soon Apple will allow you to unlock your iPhone whenever you carry an Apple Watch. This means that it will be much easier to unlock your phone while wearing a mask that you currently need to remove for Face ID to work.
The feature will be released sometime this spring, when Apple will release iOS 14.5 for iPhone and the corresponding Apple Watch update. Requires that you have an Apple Watch on your wrist, unlocked and with your own password.
It works great. You may be familiar with the process if you have a Mac and an Apple Watch; for example, you can now unlock a Mac just by tapping it with your Apple Watch.
The experience is very similar to the iPhone. If you have a mask turned on (or even if you don’t have one), swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen. Your iPhone will scan part of your face and your Apple Watch will make a small buzz indicating that it has been used to unlock your iPhone. It unlocks in an instant, just like Face ID does when you don’t have a mask.
I also tried it on with more than one mask. I lifted the shirt that covered everything but my forehead and eyes, and that worked. It didn’t work when I was locking my whole face or trying to unlock the phone without being in front.
Here’s how to set it up when iOS 14.5 comes out.
How to unlock the iPhone with the Apple Watch
Unlocking my iPhone with my Apple Watch using iOS 14.5.
Todd Haselton | CNBC
I tried it with iOS 14.5 beta. But once the software is available to everyone this spring, you’ll be able to follow these steps to set it up.
- Open your iPhone settings.
- Tap Face ID and password.
- Enter your iPhone password.
- Scroll down to “Unlock with Apple Watch.”
- Activate the button next to your Apple Watch to turn it on.
This is. Now, when you go to unlock your iPhone with a mask on, you will hear a soft buzz on your Apple Watch as you unlock your iPhone.