PhonAndroid iOS 15.4: Face ID finally lets you unlock your iPhone with a mask

Apple appears to be testing a feature that will let you use Face ID to unlock the phone even while wearing a mask. Previously, you had to be equipped with an Apple Watch.

Good news for iPhone users. The first developer beta of iOS 15.4 features a screen that asks if you want to be able to use Face ID while wearing a mask, at the cost of reduced security. This confirms Apple's intention to make Face ID work on masked faces.

Mask wearers could already unlock their iPhone with Face ID since the iOS 14.5 update, but they also had to wear an Apple Watch. Face ID was content until now with a partial scan of the user's face, but an Apple Watch had to be connected to the device to unlock it. From now on, you no longer need a connected watch.

Also read: Apple wants to turn the iPhone into a contactless payment terminal for merchants

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—Screem Wed Jun 30 18:29:20 +0000 2021

Your iPhone can soon be unlocked even if you wear a mask

In Apple's Face ID & Passcode settings, a new setting called "Use Face ID With a Mask" can be enabled to allow the iPhone to use Face ID when wearing a mask. However, Apple's description for this feature states that Face ID will work more accurately when configured "for full face recognition only".

In other words, this means that a face covered with a mask may not allow Face ID to work with complete security. Apple says "iPhone can recognize unique features around the eye area to authenticate" for how Face ID With a Mask works. According to the first users who have been able to try, only the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 are compatible.

The arrival of such a feature was eagerly awaited by iPhone owners, since not everyone had an Apple Watch. In addition, Face ID being the only method of biometric identification of devices, users until now had to type in their code each time they wanted to unlock their iPhone. We also know that Face ID could replace Touch ID on all Apple devices within two years. For now, the feature is only available in beta on iOS 15.4, and we don't know when the update will be available for everyone.