With the upcoming release of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, Apple allows you to use your Apple Watch to verify and unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask. But if you want to try the feature now, you can do so, as Apple has released public betas for both iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4.
Prior to these releases, people using iPhones with Face ID while wearing a mask could only unlock their phone by entering their password manually, which can quickly become a problem. If your Apple Watch is unlocked (which is likely if it’s on your wrist) and if it’s close, you’ll have a feeling if your Apple Watch is unlocked (which is likely if it’s on your wrist) a little buzzing of your Apple Watch and your iPhone you need to confirm.
However, there are some caveats to this feature. It only works to unlock your iPhone – it does not work for verifying things like App Store or Apple Pay purchases. And you still have to enter your password manually on your iPhone as an extra security measure.
If you want to get the public to try out the feature, go to Apple’s beta app website. Note that you must first install the iOS 14.5 beta before you can install the watchOS 7.4 beta. Be warned that these may be unexpected bugs, crashes, and performance issues because they are beta software. Install with caution.