iOS 14.5 includes a major improvement for using Face ID on your iPhone while wearing a mask. With the first developer beta of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, your iPhone will now automatically unlock when you wear a face mask.
In addition to app tracking transparency controls and support for AirPlay 2 with Apple Fitness +, iOS 14.5 includes this remarkable change to the way Face ID works with face masks.
As reported by Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal, the new “Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch” feature works when Face ID detects that you are wearing a face mask. If you wear a mask, Stern explains, and you have an unlocked Apple Watch on your wrist, your iPhone will be unlocked with Face ID.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you turn off the Apple Watch wrist detection feature, you will not be able to unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch. Apple says:
The iPhone can use your Apple Watch to unlock when Face ID detects a face with a mask. Your Apple Watch must be nearby, on your wrist, unlocked, and secured with a passcode.
For security reasons, you can also quickly re-lock your iPhone from your Apple Watch.
This is the second notable change Apple has made to the way Face ID works with face masks. Last April, with the release of iOS 13.5, Apple made it easier to skip the Face ID prompt while wearing a mask by automatically displaying the password screen.
We’re still diving into this feature to find out more, but it’s a big change in the way the iPhone and Apple Watch work together. This is a feature that many users at Apple have been calling out to add since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even before.
If you notice any other changes to iOS 14.5 beta 1 or Apple’s other new betas today, let us know in the comments below or at Twitter @ 9to5Mac. Stay tuned for our full hands-on coverage with the new releases here 9to5Mac today.
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