Apple’s iOS 13.5 update has made your iPhone jump to your secondary authentication method faster if you try to use Face ID while wearing a face mask, but it’s still a difficult process to go through every time you want to unlock your iPhone. . iOS 14.5 fixes this by adding a new auto-unlock option for those who also own an Apple Watch; I do, and it’s too good to be true.
I say ‘wait for’ because iOS 14.5 is not yet technically available to the public. Apple is testing the update as part of a developer beta – the amazing phrase that suggests you’ll have a potentially buggy experience if you’d slap it on your iPhone right now. I go back and forth about this; I like to have access to the latest features, but having a sluggish or otherwise picky iPhone – especially if it’s my primary device – is not the best experience.
In these pandemic times, it must tik-tik-tik my iPhone after getting used to the amazing convenience of Face ID is also not very nice. So much so that I think I will continue to install the iOS 14.5 beta. What is the worst that can happen?
If you would like to join me, you can follow this beta version that is normally for developers here. To get started, make a backup of your iPhone, or send it to iCloud (via Settings> your Apple ID> iCloud> iCloud Backup) or to connect your iPhone to a computer and perform a manual backup. This is important because you want to be able to return to your normal operating system if the beta is too buggy for your liking.
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Then open Safari on your iPhone and navigate to Beta profiles. Tap “Download” on the box for the iOS 14.5 beta and do not be stopped by the warning screen:
Tap your iPhone to download a configuration profile to your device ‘Allow.’ Once you are done, close Safari and make Institutions app. Tap on General> Profile, where you will find the profile you just downloaded. Tap on it and then tap Install in the upper right corner. You will eventually be asked to restart your iPhone as part of the installation process. Do it.
Tap as soon as you restart your iPhone Institutions again, and then General> Software Update. You could now download the iOS 14.5 Developer Beta (if it has not already started downloading).
Once done, find the new Apple Watch unlock feature Settings> Face ID and password. However, you will also you need to repeat the same steps to get the developer beta of watchOS 7.4 (update your Apple Watch as you normally would, rather than going to the Software Update section of your iPhone).
Ddo not accept this handy feature will work every time you use your iPhone while wearing your Apple Watch. The feature, designed for pandemic life, requires your iPhone to detect that you are wearing a face mask. If this happens, and you also carry your (password-enabled and unlocked) Apple Watch, your iPhone will unlock automatically. If you do not wear a mask, you will need to unlock your iPhone the old-fashioned way.