Hopefully, we don’t have to tell you about the importance of wearing a face mask – especially now, while the world is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic. These new circumstances have also changed the way we interact with our devices. Apple has already responded to those changes. Let’s talk about how to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask, in this case, with your Apple Watch.
First, Check Out What You Need
When talking about how to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask, we’re talking about a (newly released) feature called “Unlock with Apple Watch.” To use this new feature, you need to meet the following requirements:
- iPhone with Face ID and iOS 14.5 or newer
- Apple Watch Series 3 or newer with watchOS 7.4 or newer
If you haven’t updated your iPhone and Apple Watch in a while, now is the time. To update your iPhone, navigate to “Settings -> General -> Software Update.” To update your Apple Watch, navigate to “Watch app -> General -> Software Update” on your iPhone
How to Set Up “Unlock with Apple Watch”
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to enable your iPhone to scan your face while wearing a mask. This procedure will take only a moment of your time, so go through the following quick steps:
1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and select “Face ID & Passcode.”
3. Type in your passcode when asked for it.
4. Scroll down until you see the section labeled “Unlock with Apple Watch.” The Apple Watch connectd to your account will be listed there. Be sure it is enabled with the toggle set to on.
5. Your iPhone will now ask you to confirm enabling this feature, giving you a short introduction if how your iPhone will behave while you’re wearing a face mask. Tap “Turn On.”
6. It may take a bit of time (around 30 seconds in our case) for this feature to activate.
How to Unlock Your iPhone While Wearing a Face Mask
Let’s put the above directions into action. Once you enable “Unlock with Apple Watch,” here’s how to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask.
1. Use this option while wearing a face make and your Apple Watch. Your smartwatch should be unlocked, so enter your password if it isn’t.
2. Raise your iPhone just like you would do to unlock it. Your phone will now scan your face and identify that you’re wearing a face mask.
3. As soon as you glance at your phone, it will unlock. You can now slide up from the bottom of its screen to start using it. Your Apple Watch will show a quick alert, letting you know it has unlocked your iPhone.
Lastly, we one more valuable tip. Keep in mind that “Unlock with Apple Watch” doesn’t use Face ID to identify you. That means you can only use it to unlock your iPhone. In other words, you can’t use it to verify your identity, use Apple Pay, or access password-protected apps.
Conclusion
The above described how to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask. While we still have your attention, we’d like to provide a couple more resources. Check out how to use Siri shortcuts on your Apple Watch and how to set up sleep tracking on your smartwatch.
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