Finally, Face ID Works Even With Face Masks on iPhones.. but There's a Trick

By Mara Anton

Posted on February 2, 2021

How many times have you had to type in the passcode to make a payment with your iPhone during the pandemic? If you’re like me, countless times. That’s because Face ID simply couldn’t recognize you with a face mask on. That’s about to change, though.

Apple is finally giving us a way to unlock our iPhones even with a face mask on. When? Once the iOS 14.5 update drops.

The beta version of it has confirmed the arrival of such a feature, even if it comes with a “but”. Several “buts” actually.

The biggest one is the requirement of an Apple Watch.

If you want to use the “Unlock with Apple Watch” feature, you’ll have to have your Apple Watch on your wrist, unlocked.

And there’s more. Once the smartwatch is near your iPhone, you’ll have to position the iPhone at such an angle that it recognizes that you’re wearing a face mask.

If all these requirements are met, then you’ll get a haptic feedback notification from your smartwatch and the iPhone will unlock.

The other important feature coming with iOS 14.5 is the app tracking transparency which means you’ll have control over which apps can track your activity across their services.