If you own both an Apple iPhone and Apple Watch and are wondering how to unlock your iPhone with an Apple Watch when wearing sunglasses or similar face coverings. This quick guide will take you to the process of how to set up and use the features which Apple makes readily available through its iOS operating system.
This is useful if you are wearing a mask or other face covering that might impede the Face ID technology that Apple has been including with its iPhones since the launch of the iPhone X and iOS 14.5 and later. It is also worth mentioning that if you would like to unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch, you will need to have a third-generation or later running watchOS 7.4 or higher.
Other things to note that will need to be set up or required before you can unlock your iPhone using your Apple Watch is that both your Watch needs to be paired with the iPhone you would like to unlock. You can learn more about pairing your Apple Watch with your iPhone in our previous article. If you are running iOS 15.4 or later on your iPhone will be pleased to know that you can use Face ID while wearing a mask if you have an iPhone 12 or above without needing an Apple Watch.
Requirements before you start :
1. Your Apple Watch needs to be paired with your iPhone
2. Both your watch and iPhone need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, although you do not need to be connected to a wireless network to unlock your iPhone
3. Wrist detection needs to be enabled on your Apple Watch
4. Your Apple Watch needs to have a passcode enabled and set
5. Your Apple Watch needs to be on your wrist and unlocked
If you are sure all the above requirements have been met you can now set up the Unlock with Apple Watch feature on your iPhone simply follow the instructions below.
1. Go to the Settings application on your iPhone
2. Select the Face ID & Passcode option from the menu
3. Enter your desired passcode
4. Apple will ask you to enable wrist detection if you have not yet enabled it
Unlock your iPhone
Now that you have all the requirements and set up the feature on your iPhone, you will be able to use your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone when your face is obscured perhaps by dark sunglasses, a facemask, scarf or similar.
1. Simply wake your phone by tapping the screen or picking up the handset and look at the screen. This will now unlock your iPhone
2. If you unlock your iPhone by mistake, you can simply press the Lock iPhone button on your Apple Watch screen to secure it once again. Although the next time you unlock your iPhone after pressing this button, you will be required to enter your passcode once again on your iPhone.
It is also worth remembering that the latest Face ID technology included with Apple’s latest iPhones can be used in conjunction with the Unlock with Apple Watch allowing you the convenience to unlock your iPhone in several ways depending on what you are wearing, whether you have your Apple Watch on your wrist or simply entering a passcode.
If you are still experiencing issues setting up your Apple Watch, pairing it with your iPhone or unlocking your iPhone using the Apple Watch functionality which Apple has made available. It might be worth jumping over to the official Apple support website or booking an appointment with an Apple Genius Bar representative to correct your issue.
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