You can unlock the new iPhone Duo with your Apple Watch

If you buy the new iPhone Duo and wear an Apple Watch, you can unlock the phone without touching it. MacRumors reports that a setting called Unlock with Apple Watch lets the watch approve your phone. You never have to press the side button.

What changed

The iPhone Duo does not use Face ID, the face scanning system iPhones have had for almost a decade. It has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the side button. MacRumors notes that some people may see that as a step backwards.

The watch option softens that. MacRumors calls it the closest thing to a seamless Face ID experience on the iPhone Duo, at least for now. The feature is not new to iPhone, and MacRumors says it works reliably.

What to know

• Your watch must be a Series 9 or later, an Ultra 2 or later, or an SE 3.
• Your Apple Watch handles the unlocking, so no fingerprint is needed.
• You still swipe up to get past the Lock Screen.
• You can turn off that extra swipe in Settings.

The feed text from MacRumors does not include the step-by-step instructions for turning the feature on. It also does not say how the setting behaves in every situation, such as when the watch is not nearby. Check the full MacRumors guide or your phone's Settings for those details.