Apple’s iOS 13.5 update has made your iPhone jump to your secondary verification method faster if you try to use Face ID while wearing a face mask, but it’s still a tedious process that you have to go through every time you want to unlock your iPhone . iOS 14.5 solves this by adding a new auto-unlock option for those who also own an Apple Watch; I do, and this is too good a position to wait for.
I say “wait for” because iOS 14.5 is not technically available to the public yet. Apple is testing the update as part of a developer beta – that wonderful phrase that suggests a potentially buggy experience awaits you if you choose to hit it on your iPhone now. I’m going back and forth over this; I love having access to the latest features, but having a slow or otherwise fussy iPhone, especially if it’s my primary device, isn’t the best experience.
Yet it has to be in these pandemic times tap-tap-tap my iPhone after getting used to the great convenience of Face ID isn’t a lot of fun either. So much so that I think I’ll go ahead and install the iOS 14.5 beta. What’s the worst that could happen?
If you’d like to join me, here’s how you can join this beta build of normal for developers. To get started, back up your iPhone, whether you send it to iCloud (via Settings> your Apple ID> iCloud> iCloud Backup) or by connecting your iPhone to a computer and performing a manual backup. This is important because you want to be able to revert to your normal operating system if the beta is too buggy for your taste.
G / O Media can receive a commission
Then open Safari on your iPhone and go to Beta profiles. Tap “Download” in the iOS 14.5 beta box and don’t let the warning screen bother you:
When your iPhone prompts you to download a configuration profile to your device, tap “Allow.” When done, close Safari and open your Settings app. Tap on General> Profile, where you will find the profile you just downloaded. Tap it and then tap to install in the upper right corner. You will eventually be prompted to reboot your iPhone as part of the installation process. Do that.
Once your iPhone boots up again, tap Settings again, and then General> Software update. You should now be able to download the iOS 14.5 Developer Beta (if it hasn’t started downloading yet).
When it’s done, you’ll find the new Apple Watch unlock feature in Settings> Face ID and passcode. However, you will also you will need to repeat the same steps to install the developer beta of watchOS 7.4 (update your Apple Watch as you normally would, instead of going to the Software Update section of your iPhone).
D.Don’t assume this useful feature works every time you use your iPhone while wearing your Apple Watch. Designed for a pandemic, the feature requires your iPhone to detect that you are wearing a face mask. If it does, and you’re also wearing your (password-enabled and unlocked) Apple Watch, your iPhone will be automatically unlocked. If you’re not wearing a mask, you’ll have to unlock your iPhone the old-fashioned way.