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Why only phone unlock? ⌚️😷

Pagemakers

Pagemakers

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 28, 2008
2,931
1,213
Manchester UK
Why can you only unlock the phone with your watch while wearing a mask? Why doesn’t Apple Pay work or even at the very least, opening an app that requires a passcode.

Seems a half baked implementation to me considering masks are going to be around for a long time to come.
 
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YaBoiD said:
Can always enable Apple Pay on the Apple Watch itself. No Face ID required.
Click to expand...
Yea but that’s a bit of a faff too, especially if the terminal is not easily accessible. It’s actually more work. Double click the button. Pull sleeve up to see it’s ready then contort yourself to reach the terminal.

It’s easier on the phone and that still doesn’t fix the issue of opening apps that require a pass code.
 
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Pagemakers said:
Why can you only unlock the phone with your watch while wearing a mask? Why doesn’t Apple Pay work or even at the very least, opening an app that requires a passcode.

Seems a half baked implementation to me considering masks are going to be around for a long time to come.
Click to expand...
The problem is that the unlock with watch functionality enables any masked face to unlock your phone as long as you're relatively close by with your watch. It's far too insecure for my taste to give access to my money that way.
 
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chrfr said:
The problem is that the unlock with watch functionality enables any masked face to unlock your phone as long as you're relatively close by with your watch. It's far too insecure for my taste to give access to my money that way.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm. I hear what you say. Maybe in this instance Apple Pay and opening of apps should prompt you to “OK” the permission on the watch screen.
 
Pagemakers said:
Hmmmm. I hear what you say. Maybe in this instance Apple Pay and opening of apps should prompt you to “OK” the permission on the watch screen.
Click to expand...
So you don't want to use Apple Pay on your watch because it's too inconvenient but you want to manage payment on your phone with a secondary prompt on your watch? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Watch is perfectly fine through most clothing unless it's lined in lead. The most inconvenient terminals are usually grocery stores, and even those are still not an unreasonable reach. The hardest part with all contactless is just remembering where the sensors are for each brand of terminal.
 
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Pagemakers said:
My point is, it’s easier and more convenient on the phone. That’s all.
Click to expand...
I have the opposite experience. I can't recall the last time I used my iPhone for contactless payments, I always use my Watch. I guess it's a matter of practice and/or personal taste.

iPhone - Pull iPhone out of pocket, glance at phone to activate Face ID, double-click side button and hold by payment terminal
Watch - Pull back sleeve (if wearing long sleeves), double-click side button and hold Watch by payment terminal

iPhone payment requires four distinct steps, Watch two or three steps, depending on the season.

And due to the fact that I'm currently wearing a mask anytime I'm making a payment at a terminal? Watch wins completely. Why unlock the iPhone with Watch to make a payment when I can do it directly from the Watch without concern for masks?
 
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ApfelKuchen said:
I have the opposite experience. I can't recall the last time I used my iPhone for contactless payments, I always use my Watch. I guess it's a matter of practice and/or personal taste.

iPhone - Pull iPhone out of pocket, glance at phone to activate Face ID, double-click side button and hold by payment terminal
Watch - Pull back sleeve (if wearing long sleeves), double-click side button and hold Watch by payment terminal

iPhone payment requires four distinct steps, Watch two or three steps, depending on the season.

And due to the fact that I'm currently wearing a mask anytime I'm making a payment at a terminal? Watch wins completely. Why unlock the iPhone with Watch to make a payment when I can do it directly from the Watch without concern for masks?
Click to expand...
I guess when I’m out shopping I’m already using my phone because it has my shopping list on it or I’m using some store app to scan and pay for my shopping as I go.

Also, I may want to open a banking app to check balances etc before payment. Again, another feature the new update does not resolve.

Appreciate we all use our devices differently but the option of using it one way or another would be nice.
 
Pagemakers said:
I guess when I’m out shopping I’m already using my phone because it has my shopping list on it or I’m using some store app to scan and pay for my shopping as I go.

Also, I may want to open a banking app to check balances etc before payment. Again, another feature the new update does not resolve.

Appreciate we all use our devices differently but the option of using it one way or another would be nice.
Click to expand...
For me, Unlock with Watch addresses my single biggest Face ID-related annoyance in this masked era - accessing my shopping list and shopping apps while I'm in the grocery store. It also addresses most of my needs while walking around town - Phone, Maps, Notes, Mail, Messages, Safari... all good.

I appreciate that you'd prefer Unlock with Watch would also unlock Apple Pay and other Face ID-protected apps/transactions. I'm happy to maintain that extra layer of security. So to me, this isn't a flawed implementation or a half-measure. Apple intended it to do exactly what it does - it lowers the initial security barrier, but retains protection for those functions that require a second level of security.

For third-party apps there would have to be an opt-in to Unlock with Watch by the app developer/institution, just as there already is for whether the app will allow login auto-fill from Keychain/third-party password keepers (they often don't), or Touch ID/Face ID. Financial institutions insist on being in control of entry to their systems. I'd wager that few would allow Unlock with Watch.

If Apple extends an opt-in capability to those apps it will require those third parties to make policy decisions (bank security departments, etc.) and to issue app updates. It's not going to be something Apple would allow the user to impose on the institution (just as Apple doesn't require banking apps to support Touch ID/Face ID).

We've already been over Pay with Watch - I was already using it pre-COVID, so there was no need for me to change that particular habit. I'm also in the habit of checking bank balances before I ever enter the store, so again, no harm, no foul.
 
ApfelKuchen said:
I have the opposite experience. I can't recall the last time I used my iPhone for contactless payments, I always use my Watch. I guess it's a matter of practice and/or personal taste.

iPhone - Pull iPhone out of pocket, glance at phone to activate Face ID, double-click side button and hold by payment terminal
Watch - Pull back sleeve (if wearing long sleeves), double-click side button and hold Watch by payment terminal

iPhone payment requires four distinct steps, Watch two or three steps, depending on the season.

And due to the fact that I'm currently wearing a mask anytime I'm making a payment at a terminal? Watch wins completely. Why unlock the iPhone with Watch to make a payment when I can do it directly from the Watch without concern for masks?
Click to expand...
Minor point but if we’re counting steps, double click isn’t required on iPhone but is on Apple Watch (I think?)
 
This is a non issue for 99% of people. When I'm wearing my Apple Watch I literally never have a problem accessing payment terminals. Probably 1 in about 100 payments are a faff.
 
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GreyOS said:
Minor point but if we’re counting steps, double click isn’t required on iPhone but is on Apple Watch (I think?)
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You have to press the side button for Face ID or the home button twice for Touch ID to activate Apple Pay.
 
EM2013 said:
So 30 seconds a day
Click to expand...
Yes!

If out shopping it may be every few minutes or more if you use a phone shopping list or store app to scan your shopping etc.

More importantly, you shouldn’t be touching your mask with your hands anyway. That’s a great way to spread infection.
 
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EM2013 said:
You have to press the side button for Face ID or the home button twice for Touch ID to activate Apple Pay.
Click to expand...
No, on my iPhone SE bringing the phone to the terminal automatically activates Apple Pay. Double click home button is just if you want to authenticate in advance.
You are right about Face ID phones though, according to Apple’s guides, so my bad. Such a backward step, I’m glad I’ve not moved to that yet.
 

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GreyOS said:
No, on my iPhone SE bringing the phone to the terminal automatically activates Apple Pay. Double click home button is just if you want to authenticate in advance.
You are right about Face ID phones though, according to Apple’s guides, so my bad. Such a backward step, I’m glad I’ve not moved to that yet.
Click to expand...
Ahh I see. Been a while since I’ve used Touch ID, I just remember always double pressing the home button.

That is a step backwards though.
 
Pagemakers said:
Yes!

If out shopping it may be every few minutes or more if you use a phone shopping list or store app to scan your shopping etc.

More importantly, you shouldn’t be touching your mask with your hands anyway. That’s a great way to spread infection.
Click to expand...
You’re right about that. At least it’s easier now to unlock with the watch to get into the phone without typing the passcode every time.
 
Using an AppleWatch to override the problem with a mask is not as secure as Face ID. That’s the reason you can’t use it for ApplePay or the App Store etc
What the iPhone needed is underscreen Touch ID and hopefully we get it in iPhone 13
After all Apple has 6 patents and it’s already on other brand phones
Hopefully Apple steps up to the plate
 
bushman4 said:
Using an AppleWatch to override the problem with a mask is not as secure as Face ID. That’s the reason you can’t use it for ApplePay or the App Store etc
What the iPhone needed is underscreen Touch ID and hopefully we get it in iPhone 13
After all Apple has 6 patents and it’s already on other brand phones
Hopefully Apple steps up to the plate
Click to expand...
Why is it not as secure?
 
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