In the latest version of iOS (14.5)which has just arrived in its beta version for people who are part of the Apple program, a novelty strikes at first use. It is in fact possible to use your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone. If this idea seems quite astonishing, and given the ease of operation of FaceID which is quite outdated, it is in reality quite the opposite.
We all know it,using FaceID in public has become real hell, wearing a mask comes (and fortunately) to blur all the avenues of easy recognition on which the technology relies. But while these masks no longer seem to want to leave our daily lives, Apple could have found a solution to make our lives easier.
Unlocking in 2 steps
So within the iOS 14.5 beta lies this possibility of “hybrid” unlocking. The watch will not in fact do all the work on its own, but, in the same way that it now allows you to unlock a Mac, the latter will be able to help unlock your iPhone, when facial recognition made by FaceID is incomplete.
According to the first tests that were carried out with this beta, the feedback is quite positive. The system seems to work well. The iPhone actually takes into account the top of the face to find as many similarities as possible with the data recorded in FaceID and then the Apple Watch takes over. If the latter is unlocked and hanging on your wrist, then it will emit a slight vibration to alert you that your iPhone is also unlocked. The operation is ultimately very close to that already in place withMacBooks and Apple Watches can also unlock.
Other new features of iOS 14.5
In the rest of the update, Apple has just supported the new controllers from Sony and Microsoft (those of the PS5 and Xbox Series S and X). It will now be possible to play Apple Arcade games using one of these controllers. Another feature, concerning Siri this time, the latter has a new functionality for calling help or emergency contacts.
