In an age when everyone wears a mask, Face ID has become an issue for iPhone users – they now need to constantly enter their password to unlock their phones. There have been reports that the iPhone 13 line will receive fingerprint sensors on the screen, but there is no need to wait (or update).
Apple is trying to resolve this issue now, adding a feature for the next iOS 14.5 update that should allow iPhone owners to use the facial ID while wearing a mask. This next version of Apple’s mobile operating system is now in beta from the developer and will be released publicly in the coming weeks.
While this is excellent news for iPhone users, there is one important caveat – you will also need to be an Apple Watch user.
As first reported by Pocket-lint, iOS 14.5 will use your Apple Watch to authenticate your identity and unlock your phone – a feature that already exists on macOS.
If your Apple Watch is already unlocked, raising your iPhone to wake up as you would for Face ID will produce tactile feedback on your wrist to inform you that your phone has been successfully unlocked.
This means that Face ID will work despite low or no facial recognition, because the paired watch has already been authenticated. This shortcut, however, will only work to unlock an iPhone and will not work for any other action that depends on Face ID, such as authenticating purchases to Apple Pay or purchases on the App Store.
IOS 14.5 will also feature an important privacy feature called App Tracking Transparency, which will require applications to obtain user permission before tracking their activity and data on applications and websites. Updates to Siri and support for PS5 and Xbox Series X controllers are also coming.