Apple barely had time to release iOS 14.7 before Apple Watch users started to complain that the software update was causing a problem with unlocking their smartwatches. After installing iOS 14.7, owners of older iPhones found they were no longer able to use the Touch ID fingerprint scanner on the phone to unlock the watch.
The bug does not appear to affect Face ID, which means owners of more recent iPhones can still use biometrics on their phones to unlock their watches.
Apple has acknowledged that the bug exists, and has promised to fix it in an upcoming update. Until then, those who are affected are advised to use their passcode instead. This isn’t a huge hassle for Apple Watch owners, because you should only need to enter the passcode once per day – once unlocked, it remains unlocked as long as it senses that it’s still on a person’s wrist.
If you’ve forgotten your code, however, you’ll need to reset the Apple Watch.
More information about the bug can be found on Apple’s support pages, where there are also detailed instructions for business users.
iOS 14.7.1 will probably be sent out to the public within a few weeks. Let’s cross our fingers for a fix in that update. (Here’s how to update when it arrives.)
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation and additional reporting by David Price.
