Apple releases the first iOS 14.5 beta, which lets users unlock their iPhones with Face ID while wearing a mask if they are also wearing an Apple Watch

The feature debuts in a new developer beta, available now — While the full release won't arrive for some time …

Engadget 2021-02-02 Chris Velazco

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple had already adjusted Face ID behavior for masked users in iOS 13.5, and iOS 14.5 turns that accommodation into a paired-device authentication path. The beta makes the Apple Watch part of a routine iPhone access flow rather than only a companion display.

The feature later reached general release alongside watchOS 7.4 in the iOS 14.5 rollout. It is an interim design: subsequent iOS 15.4 testing enabled mask-aware Face ID on newer iPhones without Watch authentication.

First-order effects

Developers with compatible iPhones and Apple Watches can test a mask-unlock workflow that uses the watch to authenticate Face ID access.
Apple Watch ownership gains a practical iPhone-access benefit, while masked iPhone users without a watch retain the less seamless Face ID experience.

Second-order effects

The pairing requirement makes the convenience of mask unlocking contingent on Apple’s device bundle, giving the watch a more direct role in the iPhone experience.
Apple’s later watch-free mask Face ID testing reduces that dependency for supported newer iPhones, narrowing the feature’s value as a Watch-specific differentiator.

Third-order effects

The sequence points to authentication moving between companion devices when a phone’s primary biometric signal is constrained, before hardware and software improvements can bring the function back onto the phone.
For Apple, cross-device authentication can deepen ecosystem integration, but device-native alternatives limit how long accessory-gated convenience remains durable.

The trend: Consumer-device authentication is evolving from single-device biometrics toward context-aware, multi-device fallback methods, with newer phones absorbing those functions over time.

Discussion

@reneritchie Rene Ritchie on x
iOS 14.5 developer beta: ⌚️ Unlock iPhone with Face ID + Apple Watch if you're wearing a mask. Haptic notification + ability to re-lock 🔒 App Tracking controls 🚨 Hey, Siri, call emergency! 🎮 Latest Xbox/PS controller support 📱 5G global dual-SIM support
@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
It includes a new feature: Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch while wearing a mask. If you are wearing a mask and have an unlocked Apple Watch on your wrist, you can unlock FaceID on your iPhone.
@joannastern Joanna Stern on x
iOS 14.5 developer beta is out and it confirms that Apple is as frustrated as all of us about unlocking the iPhone with a mask on.
@metromanto Pedro Marques on x
@reneritchie Omg thank you. I've been saying this since the pandemic started. Apple Watch security is good enough for Apple Pay, is good enough to unlock a Mac, so let it unlock an iPhone. Face ID once while Watch is on, authenticates the owner for as long as it is not taken off.
@tomerdmann Tom Erdmann on x
Your watch can now unlock your phone! We're hiring people to help build out more proximity-based features like this. We'd love to hear from you! If you have any questions, my DMs are open. https://www.theverge.com/...
@viticci Federico Viticci on x
Unlocking Face ID with Apple Watch works perfectly in iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4. Takes less than a second and you get a quick haptic feedback on the wrist. Done. This feature alone is the reason why millions will update to iOS 14.5 right away. 😷 📱 https://twitter.com/...
@arinewman Ari Newman on x
Apple watches about to sell out in minutes... https://twitter.com/...
@viticci Federico Viticci on x
Just when I thought I was out of the beta game for a while, they pull me back in. *Installing...* https://twitter.com/...
@sub8u Subrahmanyam Kvj on x
I fully admire Apple's commitment to making life easier for their customers while ensuring there's a way to enrich their pockets! 😂 “iOS 14.5 will let Apple Watch owners unlock iPhones while wearing a mask” https://www.engadget.com/...
@danbenjamin Dan Benjamin on x
This might get me to wear my Apple Watch once in a while. https://twitter.com/...
@maxwinebach Max Weinbach on x
YOOOOOOOOOO I know the idea of using a bluetooth device to unlock a phone isn't that new, but god damnit I'm glad I can do it. https://twitter.com/...
@bencsin Ben on x
Pls just give us in display scanner this fall Apple. Mask or no mask that notch is just too unsightly in 2021. Hell, I'd take even a Pixel 4 forehead bezel over the iphone notch. https://twitter.com/...
@themrmobile Michael Fisher on x
Still remember the first time I used Android's “trusted devices” feature to bypass my phone's lock screen if I was wearing my Moto360 smartwatch. (In 2015.) Given the very frustrating mask + FaceID situation on the iPhone, this is one feature I'm happy for Apple to “steal.” https…
@keithedwards Keith Edwards on x
My Apple Watch just became 100x more useful. https://twitter.com/...
@evan_greer Evan Greer on x
just. stop. using. face. id. it. is. not. secure. https://twitter.com/...
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
Don't care how buggy this build is, as long as this one headline feature works, I'm upgrading immediately. 😷📲 https://twitter.com/...
@reneritchie Rene Ritchie on x
FWIW, iPhone will still unlock Apple Watch. So it's not an either/or, just a very limited/specific (and I'm guessing careful!) implementation to assist Face ID with iPhone unlock in the other direction as well. https://twitter.com/...
@airlineflyer Jason Rabinowitz on x
This is the best news I've heard all day. So obvious, why wasn't this done nine months ago? https://twitter.com/...
@chriswelch Chris Welch on x
Wearing an Apple Watch will eliminate the hassle of unlocking your iPhone with a mask on. Surprised Apple didn't do this sooner. I'm hoping that's because they wanted it to work really well first. https://www.theverge.com/...
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
iOS 14.5 includes support for the PS5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers. It goes into beta today. Details: https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...

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