Make use of Apple Watch to unlock automatically your iPhone in the event that Face ID can’t recognize your face that is covered.
In terms of the ease to unlock our phones, we’ve made significant progress. Face ID has changed the game and made it incredibly simple to access our phones. The safety of an unlocked device which Face ID affords us without needing to enter a password is a great blessing.
However, there are instances that we aren’t able to make use of Face ID, say when you’re wearing a mask glasses, bandana or ski goggles or any other type of face-covering. If you don’t own a smartphone model that can support Face ID with a mask or sunglasses on the face, entering your passcode each time you use it is a hassle. Even if you own an iPhone that supports it but it’s not possible to use it when your face is completely covered.
If you have the Apple Watch, it can be your salvation! It’s because the Apple Watch has a feature called Auto-Unlock which you can quickly set up for unlocking your iPhone.
Table of Contents
How Does Auto Unlock Work?
If your iPhone cannot be locked using the Face ID, i.e., your face is not covered however, if it detects an Apple watch is nearby, it will unlock even without the Face ID. However, your Apple watch must be in your wrist and locked in order to function. It is also essential to be near to enable this feature to stop unauthorized access.
You’ll receive a notification via the Apple Watch which will let you unlock your iPhone.
However, you are only able to make use of Apple Watch Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone. In contrast to Mac the Apple Watch cannot be used as a substitute for other applications such as authenticating your identity to access Apple Pay, keychain passwords or password-protected applications. You’ll need to enter your password in order to gain access to these.
There are instances when your phone won’t be able to unlock using Face ID and you have to enter a passcode instead. This is for instance the time your iPhone begins to boot up after closing down or restarting. Other examples include unsuccessful attempts to verify the validity of your Face ID, or when you’ve not unlocked your phone within the past 48 hours. In these instances the Auto-Unlock feature on the Apple Watch also won’t work and you’ll need to manually enter the passcode.
Auto-Unlock requires a few prerequisites to use.
Auto-Unlock is only available on devices that support Face ID. Therefore, you need the iPhone X or later, except for those with the iPhone SE 2nd gen that features Touch ID. This feature is only available for iPhones that run iOS 14.5 and later.
It is also required to have an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, which has been updated with watchOS 7, or newer.
In addition, these requirements must also be fulfilled:
- The Apple Watch must be paired with your iPhone.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi must be turned on both your iPhone as well as your Apple Watch.
- The Apple Watch must have wrist detection and passcode on.
Setting up Passcode for your Apple Watch
If you’re not using an encryption method for the Apple Watch, here’s how you can make it possible.
The button on the crown to access your Home screen.
After that, open the app ‘Settings’ by selecting the grid in the app or the app list.
Scroll down to the settings, and then tap the button for ‘Passcode’..
Tap the button to “Turn Passcode On’ and then set an encryption key.
On the screen for passcodes Scroll down and ensure that ‘Wrist Detection is also turned on.
Auto-Unlocking is a feature you can enable on your iPhone
When everything is in order Once everything is in order, you can allow auto-unlocking from your iPhone.
Open your Settings application on your iPhone and then tap the option for ‘Face ID and Passcode’.
Enter the passcode for your iPhone to gain access to the settings.
Scroll down, and activate the toggle next to the watch’s name.
A confirmation prompt will be displayed. Click ‘Turn On at the prompt. The settings will sync , and you’re done and done with. It’s that simple.
Unlocking your iPhone by using Apple Watch
When your face is completely covered and your watch is and unlocked, you can raise the iPhone and tap to lock it, then look at it. The watch will unlock the iPhone. Tap the top of the screen to access it.
Additionally, you’ll receive an alert on your watch once it unlocks your iPhone and also provide tactile feedback. If you weren’t intending that you were unlocking your iPhone then tap the Lock iPhone’ choice on your Apple Watch to lock it again. If you tap the button then the iPhone requires a password to unlock the next time.
Utilizing the Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone in instances where it isn’t able to recognize your face is a huge help. It’s not necessary to remove your glasses or mask, or enter your passcode each time you need access your iPhone.