IOS 14.5 includes a major enhancement for using Face ID on your iPhone when wearing a mask. With the first beta developer of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, your iPhone will now automatically unlock when you are wearing a face mask.
In addition to application tracking transparency controls and support for AirPlay 2 with Apple Fitness +, iOS 14.5 includes this notable change in how 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 the face ID detects that you are wearing a face mask. If you’re wearing a mask, explains Stern, and you have an Apple Watch unlocked on your wrist, your iPhone will be unlocked with facial ID.
One thing to keep in mind here is that if you disable the Apple Watch’s pulse detection feature, you won’t be able to unlock the iPhone with the Apple Watch. Apple says:
The iPhone can use the Apple Watch to unlock when the face ID detects a masked face. Your Apple Watch should be nearby, on your wrist, unlocked and protected by a password.
For security reasons, you can also lock your iPhone again from your Apple Watch.
This is the second notable change that Apple has made in the way Face ID works with masks. Last April, with the release of iOS 13.5, Apple made it easier to ignore the request for facial identification when wearing a mask, automatically presenting the password screen.
We’re still immersing ourselves in this resource to learn more, but it’s a big change in the way the iPhone and Apple Watch work together. This is a feature that many users have been asking Apple to add since the beginning 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 practical coverage with new releases right here at 9to5Mac today.
FTC: We use affiliate links for cars that generate revenue. More.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more news from Apple: