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When you try to use your “iPhone Not Unlocking Apple Watch,” you may see an error message that says your iOS device can’t talk to your watch. Your Apple Watch isn’t the only one that won’t unlock your iPhone anymore. This was a problem for many iPhone users, but Apple has since fixed it. So, we looked into the problem and found that Apple had already found it and explained why on their website.

“If you try to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask, you might see “Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch,” or you might not be able to set up Unlock with Apple Watch,” the iPhone maker said in a support document. This problem will be fixed in a software update that is coming soon. You can turn off Unlock with Apple Watch until the update is ready and use your passcode to unlock your iPhone 13 until then.

‘iPhone Not Unlocking Apple Watch’ Issue: 8 Easy Ways

Make sure all the settings are correct

Passcode-enabled Apple Watch: Make sure that you’re using an Apple Watch with a passcode set. To set a passcode on Apple Watch, open Settings → Passcode → Unlock with iPhone.
Wrist detection is turned on: Wrist detection must be enabled to unlock your iPhone using an Apple Watch. To enable wrist detection, go to the Watch app on your iPhone → Settings → Passcode → Wrist Detection.
Unlock with Apple Watch is enabled: If other settings are correct, and you’re still not able to unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch, make sure that the appropriate settings are enabled on your iPhone. Head over to Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Toggle on Unlock with Apple Watch.

Re-connect Apple Watch and iPhone

In some cases, re-pairing your Apple Watch with your iPhone may solve the problem. To unpair the Apple Watch, go to the Watch app on iPhone → My Watch → Tap the ‘i’ button → Unpair. To re-pair, just bring your Watch near the iPhone, and the pairing screen to connect them should pop up.

Reset Face ID on iPhone

Sometimes, the problem might be with the Face ID sensor on your iPhone. In this case, try resetting the Face ID on your iPhone. To reset Face ID, go to Settings → Face ID & Passcode → Reset Face ID. Additionally, you can also set an alternative Face ID—so that it doubles your chances of unlocking the iPhone.

Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices

If both your iPhone and Apple Watch have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, your Apple Watch can unlock your iPhone by making a secure connection. So, if you try to unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch and it doesn’t work, go to Settings or Control Center on your iPhone and turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s fine if your iPhone isn’t connected to any Wi-Fi network or if you tap the Wi-Fi icon in the Control Center to stop it from looking for new networks (i.e., the blue Wi-Fi icon becomes white).

Press the Digital Crown to see all apps and tap Settings.
Tap Wi-Fi and make sure it’s on.
Go back and tap Bluetooth and ensure it’s on.

Enable and disable Airplane Mode

On iPhone:

Turn on passcode and wrist detection on Apple Watch

Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap Passcode from the My Watch section.
In case you have not set up a passcode, tap Turn Passcode On and do that.
If it says Turn Passcode Off and Change Passcode, that means you have already fulfilled the condition. From the bottom, also make sure Wrist Detection is enabled. After that, tap Turn Passcode Off and enter the passcode on your Apple Watch to disable it. Next, tap Turn Passcode On and set it up again.

Force Restart Both Your iPhone and Apple Watch

If you still can’t unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch, force restart or hard reset both your iPhone and Apple Watch. The hard reset process is reliable in fixing miscellaneous issues. Therefore, it’s better to try it out as well.

To force restart your iPhone X or later (with Face ID): Press and quickly release the volume up button. Then, press and quickly release the volume down button. After that, hold down the side button until your iPhone screen goes black and the Apple logo pops up.

To force restart your Apple Watch: Press and hold the side button and Digital Crown at the same time for at least 10 seconds or until you see the Apple logo on the screen.

Reset Network Settings on Your iPhone

Go to Settings app -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings. Now, enter your device passcode and confirm the action. Once you have successfully reset the network settings to the factory default, connect your device to a Wi-Fi network. Also, ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on your device. After that, check out if you are able to unlock your iPhone using your Apple Watch.

FAQ

How do I get my iPhone to unlock my Apple Watch?

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Passcode, and then tap Unlock with iPhone to unlock your Apple Watch when you unlock your iPhone. To unlock your Apple Watch, your iPhone must be within normal Bluetooth range, which is about 33 feet (10 metres) away.

Why does it say Apple ID Cannot be used to unlock this iPhone?

It does this because the Apple ID you enter on your iPhone is not the one that is being used on it. The device is already using a different ID than the one you are entering. So, your iPhone or iPad shows a message that says you can’t use the ID you put in to unlock it.

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(Fixed) ‘iPhone Not Unlocking Apple Watch’ Issue