14 DAY TRIAL // Since Apple has removed Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone X, the first buyers getting the device on November 3 are in for a few surprises, including several that are related to the way the facial recognition system works and handles notifications.
First and foremost, it’s important to emphasize that Apple claims an accuracy of 1:1,000,000, which the company says clearly surpasses the one of the Touch ID which reached 1:50,000. But as we’ve all seen during the Apple event on September 12, there are moments when facial recognition does fail, leaving users with no other option than to enter the passcode to unlock the device.
But facial recognition has been developed in a way to ensure the full privacy of the owner. A while ago, we reported to you that the iPhone X hides notifications when someone else is looking at the screen, and now that we’re very close to the launch of the device, more information emerges from those who tried it.
Three-step process
As it turns out, this behavior is enabled by default, so whenever you grab your phone to check the lock screen, you only see the name of the contact and the app sending the notification. To read the content, you need to have your face scanned, and this is a reason why Apple has introduced one additional step to unlock the iPhone X.
Face recognition is a three-step process. First, you need to pick up the phone, then have your face scanned, and then swipe up to unlock it completely.
Without the last step, you only get to see the lock screen and the notifications, and this is exactly why Apple implemented the swipe gesture. Should this not be available, users wouldn’t be able to see lock screen notifications, and the only way to do it would be to swipe down from the home screen to check them out.
On the other hand, notifications hiding content on the lock screen can also be enabled on other iPhone models, though the behavior is slightly different because Touch ID is involved. You can find the options in Settings > Notifications > Show Previews.