Apple is to let Apple Watch users unlock their iPhone using Face ID while they are wearing a mask, without having to enter an additional passcode.

The “unlock with Apple Watch” feature is to be piloted in the beta version of the iOS 14.5 system update and will operate when an iPhone is paired with an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch supporting watchOS 7.4.

“The first time you go to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with Apple Watch after enabling the feature you’ll need to enter a passcode, but after that, Apple Watch unlocking is smooth, seamless and quick,” MacRumours explains.

“When you’re wearing a mask and go to use Face ID, you’ll feel a haptic vibration on your wrist and it will let you know that your ‌iPhone‌ was unlocked with your watch via a notification that pops up on your wrist.”

“You cannot make an Apple Pay or App Store purchase with the Apple Watch, nor can you use it for authenticating in apps that use Face ID.

“In these situations, you still need to remove your mask and use the standard Face ID authentication or enter a passcode,” the publication adds.

Mac users are already able to unlock their device with an authenticated Apple Watch.

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