If Unlock With Apple Watch Isn’t Working on Your iPhone 13

Apple support document acknowledges a problem a lot of iPhone 13 users are running into:

Apple has identified an issue where Unlock with Apple Watch may not work with iPhone 13 devices. You might see “Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch” if you try to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask, or you might not be able to set up Unlock with Apple Watch.

This issue will be fixed in an upcoming software update. Until the update is available, you can turn off Unlock with Apple Watch and use your passcode to unlock your iPhone 13.

I haven’t seen this issue, but I sympathize with those of you who’ve been hit by it. “Unlock With Apple Watch” almost completely mitigates the annoyance of using an iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask.

★ Monday, 27 September 2021