Alerts
-
3 minutes, 17 seconds
iPhone Duo uses a Touch ID sensor built into the side button for authentication. If you wear an Apple Watch, however, you can use the watch to unlock your iPhone Duo instead. That means you don’t need to touch the side button at all.
For people who have become accustomed to unlocking an iPhone with Face ID, using the side-button sensor may feel like a step backwards after almost a decade of Face ID on iPhones. Apple Watch offers a way around that interaction: rather than scanning a finger on the side button, you can use the watch to unlock the phone. It is the closest thing we have to a seamless Face ID experience on iPhone Duo, at least for now.
iPhone Duo uses a Touch ID sensor built into the side button for authentication. To authenticate with Touch ID, you use the sensor in that button rather than Face ID. For anyone accustomed to Face ID on iPhones, this may feel like a step backwards after almost a decade with Apple’s facial-recognition system. The side-button sensor is the authentication method described for iPhone Duo, but it is not the only way to unlock the phone if you wear an Apple Watch.
An Apple Watch can be used to unlock iPhone Duo instead, so you do not need to touch the side button at all. That provides an alternative to using the built-in Touch ID sensor and is described as the closest thing we have to a seamless Face ID experience on iPhone Duo at least for now. The Watch option changes how you unlock the device; the authentication sensor itself remains built into the side button.
For iPhone Duo owners who miss the convenience of Face ID, Apple Watch unlocking is the closest thing currently available to a seamless experience. The phone uses a Touch ID sensor built into its side button, but wearing an Apple Watch lets you unlock iPhone Duo without touching that button at all.
That makes the watch an alternative to scanning your fingerprint each time you need to unlock your phone. It does not change the fact that iPhone Duo uses Touch ID for authentication; instead, it offers a way to bypass the side-button scan when you’re wearing your watch. For people accustomed to unlocking an iPhone with Face ID, that hands-off option may feel more familiar than reaching for the sensor.
It is not Face ID, but it is the closest thing available for iPhone Duo right now. Apple Watch unlocking provides a more seamless way to get into the phone while avoiding the Touch ID scan, making it a useful option for those who would rather not press the side button each time. At least for now.
For some iPhone users, a return to Touch ID may feel like a step backwards. Face ID has been part of the iPhone experience for almost a decade, so relying on a fingerprint sensor built into the side button may seem like a notable change. The Apple Watch unlock option offers another way to authenticate: instead of touching the side button, you can use your watch to unlock iPhone Duo. It is described as the closest thing to a seamless Face ID experience on the device for now.
That qualification matters because under-display Face ID prototypes have been reported, pointing to a possible alternative to Touch ID in the future. But prototypes are not the same as a feature available on iPhone Duo today. For now, users who miss the convenience associated with Face ID can turn to Apple Watch unlocking, while the phone itself still uses Touch ID for authentication. The watch option does not change the sensor built into the side button; it simply provides a way to unlock the device without touching it.
Comment