14 DAY TRIAL // The new-generation iPhones go all-in on Face ID, the facial recognition system that makes unlocking the devices or authorizing a payment so much more convenient.
But starting 2020 when the world got hit by a health issue that just doesn’t want to go away, unlocking an iPhone in a public place has been one frustrating experience, all due to a reason you can easily anticipate.
Face ID wasn’t working with a mask, so instead, users just had to enter their passcodes pretty much because no other option was available. It was the moment so many people started missing Touch ID, as the fingerprint recognition would have worked like a charm during these crazy times.
Enter iOS 15.4
But as it turns out, Apple has finally received the message. This definitely took a while, but Apple eventually figured out that it needs to do something about it, so it’s now working to adapt Face ID in a way that would make it possible for users to unlock the iPhone with a mask on.
In other words, Face ID will scan your face no matter if you have a mask on or not, and this will work without a companion Apple Watch.
The feature has been spotted in the very first beta of iOS 15.4, and it’s therefore projected to go live for everybody when this operating system update goes live for users next month.
“Face ID is most accurate when it’s set up for full-face recognition only. To use Face ID while wearing a mask, iPhone can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate,” Apple explains on the setup screen.
Users can therefore enable Face ID to also work with a mask or just keep it to full face recognition as it’s the case right now. Enabling the mask scanning doesn’t require full setup from scratch.