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Face ID with a Mask is Apple's best iPhone feature since Touch ID
MacworldFace ID’s deficiencies were on full display when iPhone users began wearing masks everywhere they went. Very quickly people realized that Face ID didn’t actually work when they were wearing a mask leaving them with two options: lower their mask to unlock their phone or type their six-digit password like an animal.
Apple released a stopgap of sorts in iOS 14.5 that required an Apple Watch to send a message to your iPhone that it was indeed you trying to unlock. When it worked it took a split second longer than usual. The system felt more like a workaround than an actual feature, but it worked (and likely sold a few extra Apple Watches in the process).
Now, more than nine months later, Apple finally has a solution. In iOS 15.4 (currently in beta), Apple has a new Face ID with a Mask feature that lets you unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask without needing to strap on an Apple Watch. You’ll be prompted to set up a new Face ID scan that pays particular attention to the area around your eyes. Apple also lets you add glasses to your scan for extra precision.
It’s slightly less secure than full Face ID’s one-in-a-million odds, Apple says, but likely way more secure than Touch ID’s 1 in 50,000 chance of a false reading. That’s hardly a detriment. For years, Touch ID was a magical feature that was deemed nearly impenetrable—it’s good enough for Apple to still include it on several products.
Apple released a stopgap of sorts in iOS 14.5 that required an Apple Watch to send a message to your iPhone that it was indeed you trying to unlock. When it worked it took a split second longer than usual. The system felt more like a workaround than an actual feature, but it worked (and likely sold a few extra Apple Watches in the process).
Now, more than nine months later, Apple finally has a solution. In iOS 15.4 (currently in beta), Apple has a new Face ID with a Mask feature that lets you unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask without needing to strap on an Apple Watch. You’ll be prompted to set up a new Face ID scan that pays particular attention to the area around your eyes. Apple also lets you add glasses to your scan for extra precision.
It’s slightly less secure than full Face ID’s one-in-a-million odds, Apple says, but likely way more secure than Touch ID’s 1 in 50,000 chance of a false reading. That’s hardly a detriment. For years, Touch ID was a magical feature that was deemed nearly impenetrable—it’s good enough for Apple to still include it on several products.
