The Apple Watch makes a natural pairing with the iPhone - to the point where having both devices can feel a bit like you've upgraded to a new experience.
One of the many ways in which an Apple Watch can make your life easier on your iPhone is by allowing you to unlock your device automatically - provided you're wearing a mask or goggles. It's intended for when Face ID can't see your whole face.
If you're interested in that idea and want to know how to set the feature up, keep reading!
How to unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch
If you have an iPhone that uses Face ID and an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, you can use this feature (so long as your Apple Watch is running up-to-date software.
Provided you can tick those boxes, follow the steps below to activate it.
- Open the Settings app on your phone
- Tap on Face ID & Passcode
- When prompted, enter your passcode
- Scroll down to Unlock with Apple Watch and turn the feature on for whatever you've named the Apple Watch in question
This should leave you with the setting enabled, but if you want to double-check the steps required to actually use it, they're below.
- Wear and unlock your Apple Watch, and put on sunglasses or a face mask
- Wake your iPhone and glance at it to unlock it
- Wait for your Apple Watch to ping, letting you know that it's unlocked your phone
What you should know
Because it's only intended to work when your face is obscured, even once the setting is on you might not find that you notice it being used all that much.
However, on sunny outdoor days or when you're skiing - or whenever you're wearing a mask, it can be a really handy way to speed up the unlock process on your iPhone and get around having to tap your passcode in.
If you're looking for more tips, be sure to check out our tips and tricks for iPhone 14 users, which can unlock a whole bunch of extra functionality and features on your smartphone.