iOS 14.7 Bug May Prevent iPhones With Touch ID From Automatically Unlocking Apple Watch

Following the release of iOS 14.7, watchOS 7.6, and several other operating system updates this week, Apple has acknowledged that a bug in iOS 14.7 could prevent users from being able to unlock their Apple Watches by simply unlocking their paired Touch ID-equipped iPhones.

iphone unlock apple watch
Apple's temporary workaround for the bug is for the user to type their passcode into their Apple Watch to unlock it rather than relying on their iPhone, and Apple says the issue will be addressed in a future software update.

Users who have forgotten their Apple Watch passcodes will need to reset their Apple Watches. Enterprise users whose iPhones are loaded with MDM profiles that require alphanumeric passcodes will need to work with their MDM administrators to remove the passcode requirement and then unpair, erase, and set up their Apple Watches again.

We have seen a few signs of iOS 14.7.1 in our site analytics over the past few days, so this will presumably be a relatively short turnaround on a bug fix update rather than a more significant update with an extended beta testing period. We have not seen any sign of a larger iOS 14.8 update in our analytics, and we expect that we will only see minor bug fix updates until Apple officially releases iOS 15 in a few months.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iOS 14

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're officially less than one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

Friday November 21, 2025 2:26 am PST by
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup. According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a...

Top Rated Comments

MacDevil7334 Avatar
57 months ago
I just don’t understand how this keeps happening with iOS updates. 14.7 went through like 5 beta versions that were publicly available. Does Apple just go and drop untested code into the final release version? We get these “bugs that didn’t show up in the betas” like every 2-3 releases it seems. What is going on?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
insomniac86 Avatar
57 months ago
Good work beta testers ?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marshall73 Avatar
57 months ago
This rarely ever works for me anyway.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
57 months ago

Good work beta testers ?
Well, it’s not the unpaid beta testers responsibility to test such things. Apple is sitting on a pile of money, and simply should invest more into QM and testing. Voluntary software testers can‘t replace paid testers. Anyway, I bet if you could go through all the existing bug reports, You’ll find it there.

?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stuipdboy1000 Avatar
57 months ago
I had an issue unlocking on a Face ID phone this morning so I think it’s maybe a bit more widespread than just Touch ID phones.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
57 months ago
This is exactly why I have not upgraded from iOS 13.7 yet, waiting on 14.7.1.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)