If you’re using an Apple Watch, you won’t be frustrated that you can’t unlock your phone’s screen when you look at it and want to unlock it with the Face ID feature.
The latest iPhones have as their unique method of biometric authentication, Face ID, in an era where people wear protective masks wherever they go. This means that you are required to enter the access code constantly throughout the day. But Apple came up with a stopgap solution that should facilitate access to the phone during the pandemic, at least, but you have to have an Apple Watch.
As first reported by Pocket-lint, the new iOS 14.5 update, which entered beta today, uses the Apple Watch on your wrist to quickly authenticate and unlock your iPhone. Apple already offers this convenient trick on the Mac, but now it also comes on the iPhone.
You pick up your iPhone to turn on the screen and you’ll feel one feedback haptic on the Apple Watch to indicate that your iPhone has been unlocked. The devices must be in close proximity for this to work, which is a measure to keep your data safe. This Apple Watch shortcut is only good for unlocking your iPhone; Purchases from the App Store and iTunes will still require further authentication if the face is covered. And as a last security check, you will be asked to enter your passcode every few hours, even when the unlock with Apple Watch is activated.
This feature has not always been so reliable for Mac users, so it will take some testing to see if Apple has made improvements to the iPhone. Android has offered a similar advantage for some time by setting the “smart lock”.
It has been rumored that Apple is considering iPhone 13 switching to a fingerprint reader to complete Face ID. The latest iPad Air also has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the home button, so Apple certainly has options to offer users more options in the future iPhone.
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