With the arrival of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, the ability to unlock an iPhone with Face ID with an Apple Watch is enabled. Some users have experimented Problems that prevent iPhone unlocking with Apple Watch. Fortunately, there are several ways you can try to fix this problem and take advantage of this handy feature.
Try this when your iPhone won’t unlock with Apple Watch and a mask
First of all, it never hurts to know what are the requirements of this new function. To be able to use it, you will need an iPhone with Face ID, ie at least an iPhone X. And the Apple Watch must be a series 3 and above. Both must have at least iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 versions, respectively (you can check this in Settings> General> Info).
Once that is verified, it is time to check if the feature is enabled. To do this, take your iPhone and go to Settings> Face ID and Passcode (you need to enter your passcode) and go to the section Unlock with Apple Watch. The name of your watch should be displayed there and the button should show as active.
You should also keep in mind that this feature of unlocking iPhone with Apple Watch requires having active Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennas. Otherwise, the two devices will not be able to communicate and the unlock will not take place.
You may have removed the unlock code from your Apple Watch in the past. Well, you will have to activate it again to be able to take advantage of the feature. On your iPhone, go to the Watch app> Passcode and make sure that the code is activated or create a new one
If you’re still having trouble unlocking iPhone using Apple Watch and a mask
It is possible that even with all this, you did not solve iPhone unlock issues with an Apple Watch and the mask
- Turn off and on again both devices. Sometimes the most difficult problems are solved this way.
- Please note that the unlocking range is approximately two meters between iPhone and Apple Watch.
- If when you unlock iPhone you press the lock button on your Apple Watch, next time you will have to enter the code.
- Every time you take your watch off and turn it back on, the first time you try to unlock it with a mask, it will ask you for the code.
- There are places where the antennas have interference and this function does not work. One example is the elevators.
If all else fails, it’s best to go to Apple’s help desk. Although most likely they will ask you to do a complete restoration of both devices to see if the unlock issue is resolved. This may be a good time to “clean” your devices.
