How to Fix Face ID With a Mask Not Working on iPhone?

How to Fix Face ID With a Mask Not Working on iPhone?.

If you’re using a compatible iPhone with iOS 15.4 or later, you can unlock it with Face ID even if you’re wearing a mask. This is an incredible feature that helps you avoid revealing your face or entering your device passcode for authentication.

However, if “Face ID with Mask” is not working on your iPhone, look for solutions to fix it.

Check Your Face ID Settings

The best place to start is by checking if “Face ID with Mask” is active on your iPhone. To do this, open the Settings app and tap Face ID & Passcode. Then scroll down and make sure the toggle next to Face ID with a mask is turned on. If not, turn it on and perform a 3D face scan to activate the feature. You cannot wear a mask during the procedure.

Add Your Glasses

Do you use glasses? You must tap Add Glasses on the Face ID & Passcode screen and perform an additional scan of your face while you are wearing them. You should repeat this for any other pair of glasses you use regularly.

Donâ€™t Use Sunglasses

“Face ID with a mask” doesn’t work with sunglasses because the darker lenses prevent the TrueDepth camera system from targeting areas around your eyes. It’s impossible to bypass it. To make matters worse, it also won’t work if you’re wearing sunglasses without a mask, unless you revert to using regular Face ID.

However, if you’re using an Apple Watch, you can set up “Unlock with Apple Watch” as a workaround. This gives your iPhone an alternative way to unlock itself when Face ID isn’t working. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and turn on the switch next to Unlock with Apple Watch to enable this feature.

Donâ€™t Pull Your Mask Up

“Face ID with a mask” will also not work if you’re wearing the mask in a way that prevents the iPhone from scanning the eye area, so pull it down a bit and see if that helps.

Again, if you have a watchOS device, set it to bypass Face ID so you can keep unlocking your iPhone without having to set up a face mask or go back to entering your device passcode.

Restart iPhone

If “Face ID with Mask” is set up correctly and there’s nothing wrong with how you use it to unlock your iPhone, it’s time to quickly reset your system software. We hope this can fix any random glitches preventing this feature from working.

So open the Settings app, go to General > Power Off, and turn off your iPhone. Then wait 30 seconds and hold the side button to reload it.

Check for Compatibility

If “Face ID with Mask” is missing from your iPhone’s Face ID and Passcode settings, it’s a good idea to check your iPhone for compatibility. Not all iOS devices with Face ID support this feature; iPhone 12/Pro/Pro Max and newer models only.

Also, your iPhone must be running iOS 15.4 or later. Open the Settings app and tap “General” > “About” to check the version.

Note. At the time of writing, Face ID with Mask does not work on any iPad models.

Update System Software

Even if you’re using a compatible iPhone with iOS 15.4 or later, we highly recommend updating your system software as this may resolve any known bugs and conflicts that prevent Face ID with Mask from working.

Open the Settings app and go to General > Software Update to check for new updates. If you see an update available, click Download and Install.

Set Up Face ID With a Mask Again

The next fix involves turning off and setting up Face ID with the mask feature from scratch.

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and turn off the toggle next to Face ID with Mask. Then reactivate it after restarting iPhone. Don’t forget to add them by clicking the “Add Glasses” button if you wear glasses.

Reset Face ID

Next, you need to reset Face ID itself. To do this, open the Settings app and go to Face ID & Passcode. Then select “Reset Face ID” and set everything up, including “Face ID with mask” from scratch.

Canâ€™t Use Apple Pay?

Face ID with Mask is fully compatible with Apple Pay. If you’re having trouble verifying only Apple Pay transactions, the problem is most likely related to Apple’s mobile payments service. Learn how to fix problems with Apple Pay on iPhone.

Reset All Settings

If the above fixes don’t work, you should reset all settings on your iPhone to their defaults. You won’t lose any data in the process. However, you will have to reconnect to any wireless networks and adjust your security, privacy, and accessibility settings again.

To reset all settings on your iPhone, open Settings and tap General > Transfer or reset iPhone > Reset > Reset all settings.

Mask Up

Being able to seamlessly unlock your iPhone with Face ID, even if you’re wearing a mask, is not only safe, it’s also convenient. So, it’s worth taking the time to troubleshoot any issues that are preventing Face ID with Mask from working properly.

If you’re using an iOS device that can’t use this feature, purchasing an Apple Watch (if you don’t already have one) and activating Unlock with Apple Watch is a cheaper option than upgrading to a newer iPhone. However, the Apple Watch unlock method has its own issues that you may need to troubleshoot.