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Apple updates iOS 15 to fix the iPhone 13’s Apple Watch unlock bug

Apple updates iOS 15 to fix the iPhone 13’s Apple Watch unlock bug

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iOS 15.0.1 is out now

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The iPhone 13 and 13 Mini have the same camera sensor as last year’s iPhone 12 Pro Max
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup just launched last week, but some users ran into a frustrating issue where they couldn’t use their Apple Watch to unlock their new phones while wearing a face mask. The company had promised that a fix was on the way, and it appeared earlier this week in an iOS 15.1 beta, but now, the fix is live for everyone as part of the iOS 15.0.1 release.

Apple’s official patch notes also say that the update includes other bug fixes, but the company didn’t specify what those might be. The update clocks in at 553.7MB on my iPhone 12 Mini.

Here are Apple’s iOS 15.0.1 update notes, taken from my iPhone 12 Mini.
Here are Apple’s iOS 15.0.1 update notes, taken from my iPhone 12 Mini.

In April, Apple added the ability to use your Apple Watch to unlock a Face ID-equipped phone while wearing a mask, and it’s proved to be a handy feature as masks are still recommended in many situations due to the pandemic. With this new software update, it seems that iPhone 13 users who were affected by the bug stopping the feature from working will be able to take advantage of the convenient unlocks once more.