iOS 14.7 bug prevents iPhones from unlocking Apple Watch

iOS 14.7 was just released yesterday, and it's normal for the first few days following an update to involve polishing up a few rough patches, and a bug or two squashed along the way.

One such bug has just cropped up, particularly when it comes to a certain function of both the Apple Watch and iPhones with Touch ID. In normal circumstances, if you have an iPhone that has touch ID and is paired to an Apple Watch, by unlocking your iPhone, your Apple Watch should also automatically be unlocked. 

However, a certain issue in the new iOS 14 update seems to have blocked this auto-unlock feature between the two Apple devices for many users, at least for now. It's not certain if there's a certain trigger or iPhone model that prevents the functionality, but Apple promises it will fix up the issue promptly in the next update.

There is a way to get around the bug, however, as MacRumors reports, although it hardly saves you any time. The only workaround, apparently, is to type in your passcode directly into the Apple Watch in order to unlock it.

MacRumors has already seen evidence of a 14.7.1 bug patch which Apple seems to be working on, so it really shouldn't be too long before Apple Watch and iPhone users can enjoy the full features of their devices once more. A bug patch tends to appear quietly and quickly, without the brouhaha that usually comes with bigger updates—which iOS 14.5 certainly was, and which the upcoming iOS 15 is doubtlessly going to be.