iOS 14.5 will let Apple Watch owners unlock iPhones while wearing a mask – Engadget

While the full release won’t arrive for some time, Apple just released the first iOS 14.5 developer beta today, and one change may be more immediately useful than all the rest. Once installed, the update will allow users to unlock their iPhones via Face ID even while wearing a mask.

There is, unfortunately, one major caveat: the feature only works if iPhone’s owner is also wearing an Apple Watch. So long as the Watch itself is already unlocked, you’ll just need to look at your iPhone as usual; after that, you’ll get a haptic buzz on your wrist letting you know that the unlock was successful. As we understand it, the feature — which must be manually enabled before use — allows Face ID to proceed with an unlock despite much lower facial recognition accuracy because the nearby Watch has already been authenticated. You’ll also be able to lock your phone from your Apple Watch, though it’s worth noting that all other actions that might rely on a face unlock — like, say, approving an App Store purchase — can’t be handled this way.