At Apple’s special “Spring charged” event on Tuesday, the company finally revealed that watchOS 7.4 will be available to all users “early next week.” The long-awaited update brings users an important feature, which is the ability to unlock iPhone models with Face ID using the Apple Watch when wearing a mask.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several iPhone users complained that Face ID did not work with a mask, forcing them to enter the lock screen access code several times during the day. However, iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 solve this problem with an option that uses the Apple Watch to replace Face ID and authenticate the user.
Once you turn on the feature, your iPhone will automatically unlock with the Apple Watch the next time you wear a face mask. When your iPhone is unlocked, you will receive a haptic feedback notification on your Apple Watch telling you that your iPhone has been unlocked by the Apple Watch. There’s also the option to “quickly lock your iPhone” directly from that Apple Watch notification.
This, of course, requires wearing a compatible and unlocked Apple Watch on your wrist.
While the update is not available to the public, developers and users who were already running the beta version of watchOS 7.4 can now upgrade to the RC version – which means Release Candidate. This will probably be the version that will be available to all users later this week.
Be sure to update your iPhone to iOS 14.5 RC first, then you should see watchOS 7.4 RC appearing on your iPhone in the Watch> General> Software Update app.
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