One of the most frustrating things for iPhone users over the last couple of years was using face ID with their face masks on. Using the feature in public would mean taking off ones mask or lowering it so that the software recognizes your facial features.
For those who do not use iPhones Face ID is a feature available on some Apple products that allows users to unlock their phones using their- you guessed it- face. This security feature can also be used to authorize purchases from the iTunes Store, App Store, and Book Store, payments with Apple Pay, and more.
That’s all changing with the release of iOS 15.4.The software was released on 27 January 2022. iOS 15.4 adds Face ID with a Mask, letting you unlock your iPhone with Face ID even when your face is covered, so Face ID is as convenient with a mask as it is without one.
With the lower half of your face covered by a mask, Face ID scans your eye area to authenticate your identity. According to Apple, Face ID with a mask recognizes the “unique features” around the eye area rather than looking at the entire face when you’re wearing a mask.
Face ID when wearing a mask also works interchangeably with standard Face ID, so your phone works in the same way when you’re wearing a mask and when you’re not.
What you can and cannot do with the update
There are also a few more limitations with unlocking angles because Face ID with a Mask needs to clearly see your eyes before it unlocks. If you wear glasses, you’ll need to go through a secondary setup process. Face ID with a Mask uses a scan of the eye area, so glasses that you wear need to be added on an individual basis. If you wear multiple pairs of glasses, you’ll need to do a scan for each one.
While standard Face ID works when you’re wearing most sunglasses, that’s not the case with Face ID with a Mask. Face ID with a Mask requires direct eye contact to work, and sunglasses obscure the eyes.
Face ID with a Mask is only available on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. It’s compatible with the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
This feature does not work with earlier iPhones and it does not work with iPads. Apple has not made it clear if there is a hardware limitation that prevents the Face ID mask unlock from working with earlier versions of the iPhone.
These are some pretty interesting updates by Apple although they will not be available for some models. The Covid 19 pandemic has necessitated some new norms. And it seems masks will be around for a long time. This is definitely a welcome feature in the Apple community.