Unlock Your iPhone While Wearing a Mask

The coronavirus outbreak led to tons of iPhone users (particularly medical professionals) putting on masks and realizing they were no longer able to unlock their phones in public via Face ID. Sure, tapping in your passcode or pulling your mask down doesn’t seem to take too much time, but Apple came up with a speedier solution. 

The company has recently rolled out a new feature for the iPhone that allows you to instantly unlock your device even if you’re wearing a face mask. The catch is that you need to be wearing an Apple Watch to make the whole thing work. The new functionality is part of iOS 14.5, which is now available for installation. Read on to dive deeper into the topic. 

Mask-Unlocking Your iPhone: the What’s and How’s

Yes, with the new iOS14.5 feature, you can just raise and glance at your iPhone to unlock it. But you’ll need to wear your Apple Watch on your wrist and keep it unlocked to make the trick work. Below, you’ll find the list of everything you’ll need to make the cool new feature work its magic:

• an iPhone device that utilizes Face ID and runs iOS 14.5 or later;
• an Apple Watch Series 3 or later that runs watchOS 7.4 or later.

Here are some more requirements that come with the new feature:

• your Apple Watch and iPhone need to be paired;
• your Apple Watch and iPhone need to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on;
• a passcode needs to be added to your Apple Watch, and wrist detention must be activated;
• your Apple Watch needs to be on your wrist and unlocked;
• you need to be wearing a mask covering your mouth and nose.

Enabling the Feature: Step-by-Step Guide

Are you still getting all annoyed by the extra moves needed to unlock your iPhone while wearing your protective face mask? Follow these steps to unlock your iPhone fast while wearing a mask:

1. Fulfill the requirements in the list above.
2. On your phone, go to Settings, then Face ID, then Passcode.
3. Swipe down to the new ‘Unlock With Apple Watch’ option and toggle it on.
4. That’s it, you’re done. That was quick, wasn’t it? Now, when Face ID identifies you’re wearing protective equipment, your phone will activate Apple Watch for unlocking. 

The first time you try unlocking your iPhone with your Apple Watch with a mask on, you will be asked to tap in your passcode. Once you’re through with that, all the following attempts will be fast and effortless. Once your phone is unlocked, you’ll feel a buzz on your wrist and get a corresponding notification on your Apple Watch. You’ll have to re-tap your passcode if you take off your watch, as well as the first time you activate it each day.

Apple’s New Unlocking Feature: Yay or Nay?

Now that you have the new feature installed, here’s what you can expect. First and foremost, your iPhone isn’t identifying your face with a mask, it’s identifying any face with a mask. With this functionality activated, say, your friend who’s wearing a mask can easily unlock your phone if you are within about three feet from them. But Apple warns you about that in advance.

At the end of the day, if there’s no super secret information on your phone, Apple’s new unlocking feature is sure to boost your quality of life in the long run. No need to pull down your face mask to unlock your mobile phone in public anymore, that’s pure convenience! Curiously, the feature has proven helpful for motorcyclists (delivery agents, in particular), who are now free to unlock their phones while having their helmets on. 

So, have you already tried unlocking your iPhone with a mask on? What are your thoughts on the issue? Notice any difficulties? Word has it that the thing doesn’t work if you’re wearing sunglasses, but then again, Apple never promised it would… Feel free to put the new feature to use and get back to us with your opinion. We’re looking forward to it. Your two cents are important.