iPhone 12 I don't want to go back to fingerprint scanners again...

[seggy]

You clearly don’t know how it works then. It needs a 3D representation of your face or some twin to unlock your phone. There’s a reason why there’s an IR blaster that allows faceID to be used even in the dark.

To make a 3D model of your face that is very similar to your actual face takes time and effort. Only those who are truly dedicated in stealing your phone would do this. And by the time you realize your phone has been stolen, I would hope some sense in locking/erasing your phone via Find My.

It's not actually as cut and dried as that actually - it can absolutely be fooled without a face.

The thing is that it requires about as much resources as defeating Touch ID, so it's considered a reasonably good compromise between convenience and security.

You could argue in some close-quarters cases it is less secure as Touch ID since a dextrous thief can angle the device at the user then make a run for it while keeping the device awake...

...but again, to defeat it without a face present requires a good knowledge of iOS bypasses, and the change is that even if it were secured using some other less convenient method they'd have got around it anyway.

 

[ecatomb]

About FaceID, I can use it with a mask (and the watch) in order to unlock the iPhone. But for using the app of my bank (which need a password)... I have to remove the mask or enter the password.
With TouchID, it should be easier

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

Why is this thread always at the top on the homepage? No one is making anyone go back to Touch ID nor will they ever make them do that.

 

[ecatomb]

Why is this thread always at the top on the homepage? No one is making anyone go back to Touch ID nor will they ever make them do that.

Maybe because we don't want. Just taking about pros and cons of it

 

[cupcakes2000]

It's not actually as cut and dried as that actually - it can absolutely be fooled without a face.

The thing is that it requires about as much resources as defeating Touch ID, so it's considered a reasonably good compromise between convenience and security.

You could argue in some close-quarters cases it is less secure as Touch ID since a dextrous thief can angle the device at the user then make a run for it while keeping the device awake...

...but again, to defeat it without a face present requires a good knowledge of iOS bypasses, and the change is that even if it were secured using some other less convenient method they'd have got around it anyway.

Suggesting random scenarios without real life proof is what the internet is built upon. It can’t ‘absolutely be fooled without a face’ at all. It’s absolutely secure for absolutely everything but the most highest level threat model. After that you would disable any biometric unlocking and use a secure password anyway, if you used a device at all.
The fact of the matter is, faceID and Touch ID are both secure, faceID more so, password trumps all. There is no getting around it with a strong password for the anyone except gov agencies, and even that it highly doubtful.
A random thief going to the effort you suggest for a phone is absurd. You likely know this. That’s why phone theft is next to non existent these days. FaceID cannot be beaten by anything other than the most ardent dedication, and even then it’s not a given.

 

[Royksöpp]

Delete

 

[Royksöpp]

FaceID is so much better than TouchID.

Maybe it's because I've always had TouchID and only recently bought an iPhone 12 mini, but FaceID kicks TouchID's butt.

I love just looking at my phone to unlock it. It's like magic. With touch ID, I would have to place my finger on a certain area of the screen where as with FaceID, I just need to LOOK at the screen and it's ready to go.

In fact, FaceID is so fast for me, I just pick up my phone and swipe up without even thinking about it. That seems way more convenient than picking up my phone, placing my thumb in a certain spot and waiting for it to unlock, then swiping up. Even if it's VERY FAST, you can't simply raise the phone and swipe up immediately as you would have to be still for a second or so, then swipe up.

If Apple is planning on going back to TouchID, I'm going to be very sad. FaceID is high-tech futuristic stuff and I've only had it fail a few times since I got my iPhone 12 mini. Meanwhile, when I had TouchID, it would fail if my hands were too sweaty or wet, or if there was too many fingerprints on the button and I had to constantly keep it clean and even then, it would fail to recognize my finger sometimes.

Everytime I pick up my iPhone 12 mini, I feel like I'm living in the future. It amazes me every single time still. Especially how the notifications just pop open when my eyes lock onto the phone. It's the one thing Apple has that ACTUALLY feels like magic.

If they DO end up putting a fingerprint scanner back into the iPhone, I hope they keep FaceID as an option and the fingerprint scanner as a secondary option. Another fingerprint scanner would be going backwards in my opinion.

Touch ID is far from outdated. Apple currently sells 7 products with Touch ID. 8 if you count the new iMac Keyboard. It has its place in our lives, and it makes sense where it's applied. Imagine how useful it would have been during the Pandemic. instead we were back in 2012 where we had to enter a passcode. We saw the true limitations of Face ID and it hit us hard. Now, if the iPhone had Touch ID as well, that would have made our lives so much easier. It may seem archaic to you, but in actuality it's quite useful. There are still a lot of countries in the world where people have to wear masks. I'm sure they are not happy that they can't use a key feature on their expensive handsets. You really need to take a look around the world and see where Touch ID has it's place. Some people still need it. In that sense, it's not backwards at all. In a way not having it is now going backwards.

 

[Andrewonthebeach]

Face ID is good but touch ID is much easier in 2 key areas
1. Wearing a face mask - it is SO painful having to type passcodes when unlocking, accessing apps, paying for things because I have a mask on in a public area (like a supermarket).
2. Paying for things even without a mask as you usually reach over to the payment unit - With face ID you always have raise your phone and look at it - touch ID is way simpler and quicker.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

Maybe because we don't want. Just taking about pros and cons of it

But you might as well start a thread called "I don't want to go back to the PowerPC" or "I don't want to eat my own toes." No one is going to make any of these things happen so why even worry about having to go back to TouchID?

 

[MisterSavage]

2. Paying for things even without a mask as you usually reach over to the payment unit - With face ID you always have raise your phone and look at it - touch ID is way simpler and quicker.

I love Face ID but this is the one scenario where I thought the Touch ID experience was much better (just like you said). But I stopped using Apple Pay with my iPhone at payment terminals once I got an Apple Watch.

 

[Pinkie Pie]

I've had an iPhone 12 for two weeks and I have FaceID mostly disabled at this point. It fails far more often than it works, and is useless with a mask (which we're still required to wear in public), in poor lighting, or if I'm lying or sitting down and holding the phone at an angle it doesn't like, etc etc. How did y'all make it through the whole pandemic with this problem? I miss Touch ID.

 

[HiVolt]

I loved Touch ID. I had iPhone 6, 6s and 8 with Touch ID. I was initially hesitant to Face ID, but I did eventually get an iPhone XS Max then 12 Pro Max. It has never failed to unlock.

The only Achilles heel of the system was exposed with the pandemic, and the requirements to wear masks really pissed me off because it essentially rendered FaceID useless. It took Apple over a year to implement unlock via Apple Watch, and that's only for Apple Watch owners. Lucky for me I am one, so it has fixed that issue.

I would welcome the addition of a secondary biometric sensor either under screen or in the power button. It could even be used as double security with FaceID + TouchID for sensitive apps like banking.

 

[pbonitati]

Everyone is different, luckily...... Face ID for me is the best option. One of my main hobbies is working on cars, restoration projects ect. My fingers tips get mauled on the daily and honestly im not sure I even have a valid fingerprint half the time. All the under display sensors I've tried including qualcomm's newest in the S21 are complete trash in my use case. Capacitive are ok, but ultimately fail when I need it the most.

With that said, Pixel 4 or Face ID iPhones is all that will work for me at this point. I hope they don't put an under display scanner on an iPhone 🙏

I've been using Face ID since the X - 12P and it literally hasn't failed one time.

 

[cupcakes2000]

I've had an iPhone 12 for two weeks and I have FaceID mostly disabled at this point. It fails far more often than it works, and is useless with a mask (which we're still required to wear in public), in poor lighting, or if I'm lying or sitting down and holding the phone at an angle it doesn't like, etc etc. How did y'all make it through the whole pandemic with this problem? I miss Touch ID.

Tends to fail a lot when it’s not switched on.

 

[zorinlynx]

If mask mandates come back I'm likely going to want Touch ID in my next phone. It's frustrating to use FaceID with a mask. Maybe Apple will give us both; that would be excellent.

 

[cupcakes2000]

I've had an iPhone 12 for two weeks and I have FaceID mostly disabled at this point. It fails far more often than it works, and is useless with a mask (which we're still required to wear in public), in poor lighting, or if I'm lying or sitting down and holding the phone at an angle it doesn't like, etc etc. How did y'all make it through the whole pandemic with this problem? I miss Touch ID.

How do you have trouble in poor lighting? It works in the pitch dark for everyone else.

 

[_Spinn_]

I really like FaceID. As long as we have the option to use either I’ll be fine.

Everyone says they like TouchID because it was easy to unlock the phone while pulling it out of your pocket. That’s true when it was in a button. But it will be harder to hit the correct location when it is under the screen without looking.

 

[Saladin12]

I've had an iPhone 12 for two weeks and I have FaceID mostly disabled at this point. It fails far more often than it works, and is useless with a mask (which we're still required to wear in public), in poor lighting, or if I'm lying or sitting down and holding the phone at an angle it doesn't like, etc etc. How did y'all make it through the whole pandemic with this problem? I miss Touch ID.

One thing I always thought was just marketing speak was how apparently FaceID learns your face over time and gets faster and more reliable. I was genuinely proved wrong - my phone can now pick up my face at the oddest of angles and in the poorest of lighting conditions.

You have to give it time, more than two weeks to get to a point where it just fades into the background. If you're willing to stick with it, I think you'll find it really will replace the TouchID hole in your heart

 

[turbineseaplane]

I really like FaceID. As long as we have the option to use either I’ll be fine.

Everyone says they like TouchID because it was easy to unlock the phone while pulling it out of your pocket. That’s true when it was in a button. But it will be harder to hit the correct location when it is under the screen without looking.

It's a good point about the button.

If we get it in the power button (like the iPad Air) it could do the same thing though.

Now that we are on this -- I personally love the home buttons.
I'm really glad they still have iPads with them also - for my older relatives.

Younger and more tech focused folks don't seem to understand how unbelievably frustrating and hard to use all the swipes/gestures are.

For my older relatives, disabling multitasking and having the one single button to always and easily "go home" is still a total godsend.

 

[Paddle1]

Go back? I never left, and I'm not planning on leaving any time soon. Face ID isn't the problem, the lack of a home button is. The UI is just so much smoother with that button than with the stupid slide up silliness.

I'd have hated Face ID a lot more if I'd been forced to deal with it with a mask on. Touch ID even works through neoprene gloves. What a disaster.

I find the exact opposite to be true. Being able to close out of apps instantly with a swipe up feels more fluid than the short delay you get with a home button. Same with swiping on the home bar to switch between apps instead of always using the app switcher.

Though if we're talking something like Apple Pay or when the device is at a particular angle then Touch ID wins there. I'd personally prefer to have both.

 

[xpxp2002]

I've had an iPhone 12 for two weeks and I have FaceID mostly disabled at this point. It fails far more often than it works, and is useless with a mask (which we're still required to wear in public), in poor lighting, or if I'm lying or sitting down and holding the phone at an angle it doesn't like, etc etc. How did y'all make it through the whole pandemic with this problem? I miss Touch ID.

This has been my experience too. I had to disable Raise to Wake because at least several times a day the phone would try to unlock while I was carrying it in my hand until it failed enough that it required the password.

Also, when the iPhone decides to randomly require a "swipe to unlock" to force Face ID to try again, it automatically takes me to the Home Screen when it does finally unlock. I liked with Touch ID I could just rest my finger on the Home Button to unlock to see my notifications without having to dismiss the Lock Screen, which mixes in the new notifications with old ones.

I also have allergies, and when blowing my nose while I'm trying to unlock my phone is a real pain because that will cause Face ID to fail.

Admittedly, the iPhone 12 mini that I have now does seem to handle Face ID more accurately and faster than the iPhone X, but Touch ID always worked flawlessly for me on the 6s and 7. I have learned to live with Face ID, but it's far inferior in my experience and I'd gladly go back to Touch ID if they would make it an option.

 

[Jayson A]

How do you have trouble in poor lighting? It works in the pitch dark for everyone else.

This person either doesn’t actually have Face ID or they set it up wrong.

 

[CTHarrryH]

Obviously, people use their phones differently and thus have different opinions about Face vs Touch. Both would obviously satisfy most people

 

[Pinkie Pie]

This person either doesn’t actually have Face ID or they set it up wrong.

... Why would I lie about having Face ID?

It usually fails if there's a light source nearby that shines on only one side of my face. I guess it could be set up wrong but all I can do to set it up is follow the directions on the screen, which I did.

 

[Jayson A]

... Why would I lie about having Face ID?

It usually fails if there's a light source nearby that shines on only one side of my face. I guess it could be set up wrong but all I can do to set it up is follow the directions on the screen, which I did.

That’s funny because Face ID doesn’t care what the lighting conditions are.