Apple has given a lot with the iOS 15.4 beta and one of the newest features is the ability to officially use Face ID With a Mask. This support is also included for recognizing multiple pairs of glasses.
Mask support was first spotted by YouTuber Brandon Butch, who tweeted:
Well this is new 🤔 (iOS 15.4 Beta 1) pic.twitter.com/MSe7hmPGlR
— Brandon Butch (@BrandonButch) January 27, 2022
Until now, iPhone Face ID hasn’t been designed to work when wearing a mask. This means customers need to rely on entering their passcode or owning an Apple Watch to unlock their phones with a covered face.
Hence, we are all excited to learn that the giant is testing Face ID With A Mask in the iOS 15.4 beta. According to 9to5Mac, this new feature works by recognizing our “unique features around the eye area to authenticate.” Apple commented:
Face ID is most accurate when it’s set up for full-face recognition only. To use Face ID while wearing a mask, the iPhone can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate.
Here is how to use iPhone’s Face ID With a Mask
* Note: Having a mask is not mandatory to set up the feature, however, 9to5Mac suggests that the feature appears to be only available for iPhone 12 and later.
- After first installing iOS 15.4 there should be a splash screen to set up Face ID With a Mask on iPhone 12 or 13
- If you initially chose “Set Up Later,” head to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Use Face ID With a Mask to get back to the feature and toggle it on
- Follow the prompts to re-register Face ID for use with a mask
- If you’re wearing glasses for the first scan, iOS will ask you to remove them for the second
- If you’re not currently wearing glasses but do sometimes, you’ll see Add Glasses button after getting the feature set up (shown below)
Additionally, you can toggle off Face ID With a Mask after setting it up and toggle it back on without having to scan in your face again. Here’s how the process looks:
Photo Credits: 9to5Mac
Because the feature works by recognizing and authenticating the unique areas around your eyes, it doesn’t work with sunglasses.
