On a February Tuesday in 2021, Apple placed a second test version of watchOS 7.4 in the hands of developers, a small step in the long, patient work of refining software that people depend on daily. The update arrives in the shadow of a familiar frustration: in an era of masks, the face-based key to our phones has grown unreliable, and many people have quietly accepted typing a code as the price of getting in. Apple's answer is to let a watch already on the wrist vouch for its owner, a quiet handoff of trust between two devices that share a person's day. The finished release is expected in earl
Apple Seeds Second watchOS 7.4 Beta to Developers, Adding Mask Unlock for iPhone
Face ID does not work when a person is wearing a mask.
Mark
Why does this beta matter more than a typical point-release test build?
Mimi
Because of the mask feature. Face ID doesn't work over a mask, so people have been typing passcodes. An unlocked Apple Watch can now stand in as the second check.
Luke
Worth saying that this is a beta. The behavior described is what's in testing, and it could change before release.
Mark
How does the unlock actually feel to the user?
Mimi
You get a haptic tap on your wrist and a notification on the watch, much like when the watch unlocks a Mac.
Mark
Does it open everything then?
Mimi
No. It's only for mask use, and it can't approve Apple Pay or App Store purchases, or open apps that need a Face ID scan.
Luke
So the convenience is narrow by design. Those cases still need a passcode or the mask off.
Mark
And the Fitness+ change?
Mimi
AirPlay 2 support, so workouts can go to a compatible TV or set-top box. Watch metrics don't show on screen, though.
Luke
The timing is also only stated loosely: early spring, after several weeks of beta. No exact date has been given.
The Pulse
- Masks have made Face ID stall, forcing people to type passcodes again and again to reach their own phones.
- The second watchOS 7.4 beta is out to developers only, two weeks after the first, with testing still in its early stages.
- Unlock with Apple Watch lets a wrist-worn device confirm identity when the face cannot, arriving alongside iOS 14.5.
- The fix has firm limits: it works only while masked, and Apple Pay, App Store purchases and Face ID-only apps still demand a face, a mask removed, or a passcode.
- AirPlay 2 for Fitness+ now streams workouts to TVs, though watch metrics vanish from the screen during casting.
- A public release is planned for early spring, so the wait for ordinary users is still several beta cycles away.
On a February Tuesday in 2021, Apple placed a second test version of watchOS 7.4 in the hands of developers, a small step in the long, patient work of refining software that people depend on daily. The update arrives in the shadow of a familiar frustration: in an era of masks, the face-based key to our phones has grown unreliable, and many people have quietly accepted typing a code as the price of getting in. Apple's answer is to let a watch already on the wrist vouch for its owner, a quiet handoff of trust between two devices that share a person's day. The finished release is expected in early spring, though until then it remains a work in progress, tested by those who will shape its final form.
On Tuesday, Apple sent the second developer beta of watchOS 7.4 to testers, two weeks after the first and three weeks after watchOS 7.3 brought Time to Walk, wider ECG access and a new Unity watch face. Developers install it by downloading a configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center, then find the beta under General > Software Update in the Apple Watch app on their iPhone, with the watch charged past half and close by.
The headline change arrives with iOS 14.5 and answers a daily annoyance. Face ID cannot read a face behind a mask, so many people have been typing passcodes. Now an iPhone with Face ID can accept an unlocked, authenticated Apple Watch as a second check, much as a watch already unlocks a Mac. It is switched on under Face ID & Passcode, and a tap on the wrist with a notification confirms the unlock.
The limits are real. It works only while a mask is worn, and it cannot approve Apple Pay, App Store purchases or apps that demand a face scan. In those moments, the mask comes off or a passcode is entered.
Fitness+ subscribers gain AirPlay 2, letting workouts stream to a compatible TV or set-top box, though watch metrics stay hidden on the big screen. The update remains in beta for several more weeks, with a public release planned for early spring.
On Tuesday, Apple pushed the second developer beta of watchOS 7.4 out to testers. It arrived two weeks after the first beta, and three weeks after watchOS 7.3 shipped with the "Time to Walk" feature, expanded ECG availability and a new Unity watch face.
Getting the beta onto a watch takes a few steps. Developers first download the right configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. With the profile installed, the beta appears in the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, under General > Software Update. The watch must have at least 50 percent battery, sit on its charger and stay within range of the iPhone.
The headline addition, which arrives together with iOS 14.5, is called "Unlock with Apple Watch." Face ID does not work when a person is wearing a mask, which has meant typing a passcode to get into the phone. Under the new setup, an iPhone with Face ID can accept an unlocked, authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary check. The idea resembles the way an Apple Watch already unlocks a Mac. The option is switched on in Settings, under Face ID & Passcode.
The feature has firm limits. It works only when a mask is being worn. The watch cannot authenticate Apple Pay or App Store purchases, and it cannot open apps that require a Face ID scan. In those cases the user must take off the mask or enter a passcode or password.
When the watch does unlock the phone, the wearer feels a haptic tap on the wrist and gets a notification on the watch. This mirrors the experience of unlocking a Mac with the watch.
The update also changes things for Apple Fitness+ subscribers. Combined with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 enables AirPlay 2 for Fitness+, so workouts can be streamed to an AirPlay 2-enabled TV or set-top box. One limitation applies: Apple Watch metrics do not appear on screen during an AirPlay stream. The feature is limited to iPhone, iPad and Apple Television.
WatchOS 7.4 will stay in beta for several weeks. Apple plans to release the finished update in early spring.
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