iOS 14.5 Adds an Option to Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch if You're Wearing a Mask

[bodonnell202]

Great, just in time to stop wearing masks!

Wish that were true, but we need to get to the point of heard immunity with vaccines (and some countries have been doing better than others based on limited vaccine supply) and get infection rates way down before we can stop wearing masks in public. That's at the very minimum a few months away.

 

[iBug2]

It is simply false that “Right now, with a face mask on, Face ID does not work”.
One of the selling points of FaceID is that it intelligently adapts to changes in appearance and also that it simply isn’t using a flat photo of your face. If you’ve used a mask for more than a day or two it knows. I can imagine that most people saying this have probably only left their house once over the past year. If you consistently wear the same type of face mask the same way it easily learns. Worked on my last iPhone, continued to work on my new iPhone. A day of inconvenience, but by now most people should have it working.

Never worked for me. I've been using Face ID with a mask for 250 days.

 

[ipedro]

HEEEEEEEEEEELL NO!!

I'm not having anyone picking up my phone and instantly getting it unlocked just because I'm nearby.

You people seem to have trouble reading. 🙄

1. It requires a partial Face ID scan (top of your face)
2. It notifies the Watch wearer with Haptic Touch and a screen notification that the iPhone was unlocked and allows you to lock the iPhone from your wrist.

 

[DribbleCastle]

Does anyone know yet if it requires the latest Apple Watch beta to work as well? Or is it just the iOS build alone?

 

[spencecb]

Great, just in time to stop wearing masks!

Not sure what world you live in, but mask wearing is not going away anytime soon.

 

[Serban55]

Worked for me after one day at universal studios. It’s false to say it doesn’t work when it works for many people.

"for many people" come on....who are those? ....you probably register your face again wearing the mask...or your faceID is not working hot it should be....change your iphone...you have a hardware issue

 

[Canyda]

it adapts but not that drasticaly...your statement is false
If you want to work with your mask on, then you have to learn your faceID and scan your face, with mask on

Which for me, FaceID refuses to do, saying that my face is obstructed.

 

[Serban55]

Doesn't work for me and I frequently wear a mask.

let him be...maybe he has a lemon iphone

 

[Serban55]

Which for me, FaceID refuses to do, saying that my face is obstructed.

you have ios 14.3? use these instructions https://9to5mac.com/2020/04/08/iphone-how-to-use-face-id-with-mask/

 

[allseeingi’s]

Very useful , a shame this wasn’t introduced earlier on given this has been a feature available on macs . Better late than never though !

 

[subi257]

Great update!


You can just pay with your watch

True, I do it all of the time. Even without the mask, it's ssooo much easier than pulling out the iPhone.

 

[dtbratt]

Im assuming this will work on Series 3 as well?

 

[svanstrom]

You people seem to have trouble reading. 🙄

If you want to make it personal, so sure, I can play that game to: You seem to have a trouble with something as "complicated" as following the context/thread of what's being discussed.

If you click on the "backarrow" in a post you can see what's being discussed, instead of simply taking things out of context.

If that's too much for you I suggest finding a forum with a simpler format.

 

[chucker23n1]

Great, just in time to stop wearing masks!

That ain’t happening for many months.

 

[Johnny907]

Finally some news today that is actually interesting. This is a great feature I hoped Apple would implement but never really expected them to.

 

[Shpyda]

Does anyone know yet if it requires the latest Apple Watch beta to work as well? Or is it just the iOS build alone?

It requires the update on the watch as well as the phone to use this feature.

 

[testcard]

This is going to be useful.

 

[retrospek]

This works great and so much easier..

 

[MN7119]

Just a year late but better late than never. iPhones with FaceID are simply painful when wearing masks.

 

[Orizaba]

Oh man, this is great news. I wonder why it took so long.

 

[musicpenguy]

HEEEEEEEEEEELL NO!!

I'm not having anyone picking up my phone and instantly getting it unlocked just because I'm nearby.

I’m curious the distance involved may be pretty close for this to work - I’m sure a lot of thought went into this - you can also toggle this on and off in settings

 

[obamtl]

It is simply false that “Right now, with a face mask on, Face ID does not work”.
One of the selling points of FaceID is that it intelligently adapts to changes in appearance and also that it simply isn’t using a flat photo of your face. If you’ve used a mask for more than a day or two it knows. I can imagine that most people saying this have probably only left their house once over the past year. If you consistently wear the same type of face mask the same way it easily learns. Worked on my last iPhone, continued to work on my new iPhone. A day of inconvenience, but by now most people should have it working.

OK, so either you don't wear masks, or use FaceID, or both. Which is it?🤔

 

[MacAttack2024]

Awesome. Now get rid of the swipe up to unlock...

 

[Continental1k]

My Ex would've loved this -- unlocking my phone while I was sleeping...

 

[blacktape242]

hopefully this mask wearing wont go on another year but just be done with sooner than later.....