I keep my grocery list on my iPhone. One of the silly yet still frustrating parts of this pandemic has been needing to check my grocery list while I’m out. Because I’m masked up—as any sensible person would be—this means typing in my very long passcode every time I want to check. It’s a problem that’s so bad, NYC’s MTA has asked Apple to fix Face ID so people wouldn’t touch their masks, contaminating them, just to authenticate their iPhones so they could use their new turnstiles. I stopped using my iPhone for Apple Pay, and now use my Apple Watch, as it doesn’t require re-authentication if it hasn’t been removed from your wrist.
That same logic is now going to improve iPhone unlocking when the user has a mask on. We had hoped that Apple would bring the wonderful lock screen Touch ID from the iPad Air 4 to the iPhone 12, but they didn’t. Face ID fails when looking at a mask. In the next iOS update, currently in testing as a developer beta, if the user is wearing a mask and has an authenticated Apple Watch on their wrist, the iPhone will unlock.
Finally.
“Decent Enough” Security
It includes a new feature: Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch while wearing a mask. If you are wearing a mask and have an unlocked Apple Watch on your wrist, you can unlock FaceID on your iPhone.
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) February 1, 2021
The Apple Watch has been able to unlock your Mac for quite some time now. The idea is, if your Apple Watch is very close to your Mac, and is authenticated and on your wrist, then your Mac may not have to ask you for your password. This likely isn’t great security, after all, you could simply be near your computer, not necessarily using it. Also—and this is going to be a problem for the iPhone as well—you may not have a strong passcode on your Apple Watch. I don’t use my Apple Watch as an unlock for my Mac for this reason.
Still, your iPhone will only resort to using the Apple Watch unlock when it detects a person wearing a mask. It seems that this is simply a “less accurate” Face ID unlock as well. Apple’s still trying to match up the top portion of your face. So Apple will still use some details of your face, along with the Apple Watch. Also, any time you unlock your iPhone this way, you’ll get a notification. This is so if someone tries to use your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone and it’s not you, but they still successfully get in, you can know about it.
If you do this, consider a longer Apple Watch passcode, at least 10 digits. You should consider a 13-16 digit passcode. Make it as long as you would one for your iPhone, because it’ll be the only piece of security between your iPhone and someone else. It’s not perfect. It’s weakening Face ID and introducing another step. However, it’ll be good enough, and when you’re tired of inputting a 15-digit passcode every time you want to check your grocery list, it’ll be a godsend.
Of course, it’ll be optional. So, just as soon as we’re all vaccinated and we don’t have to wear masks everywhere anymore, you can consider turning the feature off.
Locking and Buying
You’ll be able to lock your iPhone from your Apple Watch once this feature is enabled. That could stop theft of just your iPhone. Often an iPhone theft happens when someone is using their iPhone. The thief snatches it and runs off with the device. They can turn on Airplane mode until they’re able to get to their own network or set up a firewall that blocks communication with Apple’s servers. Then it’s easy to just get all of the information off of your device. But with this update, users will be able to lock their iPhone as soon as the theft occurs.
Apple doesn’t consider the Apple Watch and partial Face ID scan secure enough for purchases though. It’s obvious that it’s an unlock of convenience, not a fantastic security measure. If Apple’s not willing to trust it for purchases, then it’s clear that it won’t be as well-tested or secure as Face ID. Still, it’s better than taking the 3 second to unlock your iPhone every time you want to use it.
Solving a Long-Lasting Problem
This isn’t a perfect solution. Do you know what is? Touch ID. I have wanted Apple to at least add Touch ID back as an option since they added Face ID to the iPhone with the iPhone X. Apple could put it in the lock button, as they did for the iPad Air 4, with relative ease.
The fact is, COVID-19 likely changed our society forever. Already, in many Asian countries, mask wearing was commonplace. For some, due to environmental concerns. For others, it’s to prevent the spread of illness. People who suspect they may be sick might wear a mask to work, rather than go in and infect more people. You know that period in time when you’re wondering, is my throat dry, is this allergies, or am I getting sick? That’s the perfect time to wear a mask to prevent spread to friends and family. It very well may become a part of our culture worldwide after this pandemic.
Apple has never done well in Asian countries. With Face ID being its only form of unlocking, and mask use more common, I can see why. Apple has a long-term problem on their hands here, and this is a stopgap solution. Even once we have most Americans vaccinated, we’ll still have to be careful. There will still be the possibility of spreading COVID-19 without knowing it to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated or can’t be due to either A) having an insane parent, or B) having an immune disorder that prevents vaccination. We’re going to be masking up well into the fall. We’ll likely continue to use masks after that to help prevent the spread of illness. Or just on days when we don’t feel like doing much foundation or lip makeup. Oh, yes, that’s going to be a thing.
Apple’s going to need a more secure solution than just an Apple Watch and the top portion of your face. Still, this is likely secure enough to prevent theft or easy access to your device in most cases. If you’re annoyed with unlocking your iPhone with a mask on, as everyone likely is, it’ll be a great way to get back to a little bit of normalcy until we can actually get back to normal.
And who knows? Maybe Apple will finally give us Touch ID in the iPhone again this fall. Just in time for the next unchecked pandemic.
Sources:
- Ivan Mehta, The Next Web
- Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider
- Chris Velazco, Engadget