Although the full version would not appear for some time, Apple today released the first iOS 14.5 developer beta, and one change may be more useful than all the others. Once installed, users can unlock their iPhones via Face ID, even if they are wearing a mask.
Unfortunately, there is one major caveat: the feature only works if the iPhone owner is also wearing an Apple Watch. As long as the watch itself is already unlocked, you just need to look at your iPhone as usual; after that you get a haptic buzz on your wrist to let you know that the unlock was successful. As we understand it, Face ID with the feature – which must be manually activated before using it – can continue to unlock despite a much lower accuracy in face recognition because the nearby Watch has already been verified. You can also unlock your phone from your Apple Watch, but it’s worth noting that all other actions that could rely on a face lock – such as approving an App Store purchase – could not be handled this way.