XDA Basics: How to unlock your Face ID iPhone with Apple Watch when masked

The Apple Watch is a great fitness tracker that comes loaded with features, both useful and gimmicky ones. A favorite feature of mine is unlocking my Mac with my Apple Watch. A similar feature Apple has brought to iOS is unlocking your Face ID iPhone with the Apple Watch when masked. This is particularly useful during these trying times, with the pandemic forcing us to wear masks in public. Here’s how to set it up.

Requirements

• A Face ID iPhone running iOS 14.5 or later.
• An Apple Watch Series 3 or newer running watchOS 7.4 or later.
• Your Apple Watch must be paired to your iPhone.
• You must enable Bluetooth and WiFi on both devices — connecting to a network isn’t necessary.
• You must have wrist detection enabled on your password-protected password.
• The watch must be unlocked and on your wrist.
• You must be wearing a mask covering your nose and mouth or sunglasses/goggles that cover your eyes.

How to unlock your Face ID iPhone with Apple Watch when masked

• Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.

• Scroll down and click on Face ID & Passcode.

• Enter your iPhone’s passcode.

• Scroll down to Unlock with Apple Watch and hit the toggle next to your Apple Watch’s name.

Apple describes the feature as:

Use the secure connection to your Apple Watch for Siri requests or to unlock our iPhone when an obstruction, like a mask, prevents Face ID from recognizing your face. Your watch must be passcode protected, unlocked, and on your wrist close by.

Once you have the feature enabled, Apple Watch will vibrate on your wrist every time it unlocks your iPhone to make sure it’s you. You will also be able to lock your iPhone instantly from your watch if that was someone else holding your phone.

Will you be using this feature on your Apple devices? Let us know in the comments section below.