To unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode on your iPhone, enter your passcode, and turn on Unlock With Apple Watch for your watch. After that, when Face ID can’t recognize you because you’re wearing a mask, sunglasses or ski goggles, your iPhone unlocks when you glance at it while wearing your unlocked watch.
This guide covers iPhones with Face ID and Apple Watch on current versions of iOS and watchOS. It explains what you need, how to turn the feature on, how to use it, how to lock your iPhone again if it unlocks by mistake, and what to check when it doesn’t work. The steps come from Apple’s Apple Watch User Guide and its support article on unlocking with a mask or sunglasses, checked in October 2026.
What You Need
Apple lists these requirements:
- An iPhone that uses Face ID (iPhone X or later) with iOS 14.5 or later. iPhones with Touch ID can’t use this feature.
- An Apple Watch Series 3 or later with watchOS 7.4 or later, paired with that iPhone.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on on both the iPhone and the watch. Apple notes you don’t need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network.
- A passcode on your watch, with wrist detection turned on. If your watch has no passcode, see how to manage your Apple Watch passcode.
- The watch on your wrist and unlocked.
- Something covering your face. Apple’s support article says you need to be wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose, or sunglasses or ski goggles that cover your eyes.
How to Turn On Unlock With Apple Watch
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Result: the Settings menu opens.
- Tap Face ID & Passcode, then enter your iPhone passcode. Result: the Face ID & Passcode screen opens.
- Scroll down to Unlock With Apple Watch. Apple’s support article calls this section Unlock with Nearby Devices, so look for either name. Result: your paired watch is listed.
- Turn on the switch next to your watch’s name. If you have more than one watch, turn it on for each one. Result: the switch turns green.
Apple notes that if wrist detection is off on your watch, you’re asked to turn it on at this point.
How to Unlock Your iPhone With Your Watch
- Put on your mask, sunglasses or ski goggles, and make sure your Apple Watch is on your wrist and unlocked. Result: your watch is ready to vouch for you.
- Wake your iPhone by raising it or tapping the screen. Result: the Lock Screen appears.
- Glance at your iPhone. Result: it unlocks, and your watch taps your wrist and shows an alert.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to start using your iPhone. Result: your Home Screen or last app opens.
Apple’s User Guide also says the feature can unlock your iPhone for Siri requests.
If Your iPhone Unlocked by Mistake
Because the watch does the unlocking, your iPhone could unlock when you didn’t mean it to, such as when someone else picks it up while you’re nearby. Apple built in a safeguard. When your watch unlocks your iPhone, it shows an alert. Tap Lock iPhone on your watch screen to lock it again.
Apple says the next time you unlock your iPhone after tapping Lock iPhone, you’ll need to type your passcode.
What It Can’t Do
- It doesn’t use Face ID. Apple explains that the feature doesn’t recognize your face. It relies on your watch being on your wrist, unlocked, and near your iPhone.
- It only unlocks the iPhone. It won’t approve Apple Pay, passwords stored in Keychain, or password-protected apps. For those, type your iPhone passcode or use your Apple Watch for Apple Pay.
- It doesn’t work on iPhones with Touch ID or on iPad. The setting lives in Face ID & Passcode. See can you pair an Apple Watch to an iPad?
Face ID With a Mask
Apple notes that with iOS 15.4 and later, iPhone 12 and later can use Face ID while you’re wearing a mask, without an Apple Watch. You can use both features together for any combination of masks and sunglasses.
If Unlock With Apple Watch Isn’t Working
- Check Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Both need to be on, on both devices.
- Unlock your watch. If the watch is locked, it can’t unlock your iPhone. Enter the watch passcode first.
- Check the fit. Apple’s wrist detection article says the watch should lie flat on top of your wrist so the sensor on the back touches your skin. A loose band, a sleeve or a bracelet underneath can stop it from knowing it’s on your wrist.
- Turn wrist detection back on. On your watch, open Settings > Passcode and make sure Wrist Detection is on. Apple says that with it off, your watch won’t lock or unlock automatically.
- Check what’s covering your face. The feature is designed for masks, sunglasses and ski goggles. Without one, your iPhone uses Face ID as usual.
- Restart both devices. Turn the iPhone and the watch off and on again, then try once more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to unlock my iPhone with my Apple Watch?
The watch must have a passcode, be unlocked and on your wrist, and be close to your iPhone. You also get a tap and an alert every time it unlocks your iPhone, with a Lock iPhone button if it wasn’t you.
Does it work if I am not wearing a mask?
Without a mask, sunglasses or goggles, your iPhone uses Face ID normally. The watch steps in when something covers your face.
Can I use more than one watch?
Yes. Apple says to turn on the setting for each watch in Face ID & Passcode.
For more Apple Watch tips, see how to make the Apple Watch screen brighter.
Control Center on your watch can also help you find a misplaced iPhone. See how to use the flashlight, Airplane Mode and Ping iPhone on Apple Watch.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.