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iOS 15.4 Beta Lets You Use Face ID With a Mask On

Kylo83 said:
Well done apple, 2 years to late; in the uk we don’t need masks anymore so maybe apple should of done this 2 years ago, doesn’t seem like a hard thing for them to do
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Masks are still recommended in indoor places in the U.K.

Masks are still a requirement on public transport in London and in various places such as healthcare locations.

The only times I get to go out are to use public transport to visit hospitals. And those are also situations where I do need to use my iPhone due to I am immunocompromised with an active lung condition.


anshuvorty said:
Do you know how hard it is to program a security feature like FaceID which was designed to work with your complete face, only to then re-engineer it to work with your Apple Watch, and then have to again re-engineer it to work with a mask?

Oh yeah, and adding to the frustration - design this feature while collaborating with your fellow engineers remotely, when you don't even know if your colleagues are giving this feature their full attention when they are coding the new features.

C'mon! Have some empathy!
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Since the start of the pandemic scientists have been able to analyse the virus, create vaccines, test vaccines, produce vaccines, for regulators to analyse vaccines, approve vaccines, and for health systems to implement mass vaccinations, vaccinate people one, twice, thrice, and in some cases a fourth time.

Is it really more difficult to re-engineer a feature than do all of that?
 
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thelion7 said:
Great, could have done with this feature a year and a half ago…

Now just allow third party apps that support Face ID to us this feature too.
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Ah. Now this is the good thing about. Yes it’s great that you don’t have to have an Apple Watch to unlock with a mask on now, but with this update, third party apps now unlock with Face ID when I have a mask on and not just when unlocking my phone. This was a ball ache before that apps couldn’t do this. Now they can. Woo hoo. :)
 
Moderator Note:

Posts have been deleted. Stick to technical issues/questions/details regarding this implementation
 
Populus said:
I bought it because, in the first place I wanted to test it with a mask, there are several videos of people configuring FaceID with a mask on and apparently it worked, but it didn’t work on my 13 mini. And because I didn’t remember how tiresome it was to enter the passcode each time I want to unlock my smartphone.

Also, I knew, from Prosser leak, that Apple was working on this. So I bought it in November expecting this to be released at some point during the fall. I really had the hope. But the feature didn’t come. And the returning window was approaching. And I shamed on Apple for forcing me buying an Apple Watch to be able to use it during this never ending pandemic. So before the returning window ended, I decided to ask the refund.

I even considered buying an Apple Watch, I asked here in the forum for the cheapest Apple Watch to unlock the iPhone -just for that because I honestly don’t want or need an Apple Watch- and most of the people told me “don’t buy an Apple Watch just to unlock your iPhone“. Honestly I’m pretty happy with my smart band that I charge once per month, and I don’t see myself charging another device each night. And I don’t need the expense of an Apple Watch.

Now that this is a real option, I will consider again the 13 mini, as I ended up loving it, and would’ve kept if it wasn’t because the issue of FaceID with masks.
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I think this is just a Band-Aid for the problem with Face ID not working with masks. I mean you could just turn off the passcode and you would’ve had the same function but I think you lose Apple Pay if you do that.

If I were you I would wait for an iPhone with Touch ID. That’s the only proper solution to unlocking a phone with a mask

If you decide to get a Face ID phone for this feature at least wait till it comes out of beta and is actually implemented in the final version. Not everything from the beta will get carried over so you might end up buying and returning another iPhone ?

I would agree with not buying an Apple Watch just to unlock your phone. That’s a bit silly. That’s like buying a car because it has a heated seat. I absolutely love my Apple Watch but certain technology just does not interest everyone.
 
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redheeler said:
It's about time. I don't have a Watch and this was the biggest reason Face ID was a downgrade over Touch ID immediately when I got my 13 Pro Max...yes masks are still required in some places.
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I never had a problem pulling down my mask for 2 seconds to unlock my iPhone or complete an Apple pay transaction.
 
They could have solved this with Touch ID power button like the iPad. Lowering security because they are too stubborn, and only want to stick with Face ID.
 
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withitnow said:
No it doesn’t. Just tried this to be sure. As with third party apps now, can use Apple Pay with Face ID and mask on. :)
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It sounds like you've got the beta and are playing around with it. Can you clarify if the Face ID with mask ONLY works for Apple Pay and third party authentication? Or does it also works for phone unlock as well?
 
mansplains said:
You can lock your phone again from the watch if it was an accidental unlock, and when you lock it from the watch it prompts for code instead of biometrics
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Didn’t work well with my, admittedly old, Series 3. The notfication disappeared before I could take any action on it.
 
Moonlight said:
It taps you on the watch to let you know your phone is being unlocked and it uses your eyes in a scan. So what you say is really a non issue.
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Then it is strange that it happened. The notification on the Watch also disappeared before I could take any action on it.
 
lkalliance said:
It sounds like you've got the beta and are playing around with it. Can you clarify if the Face ID with mask ONLY works for Apple Pay and third party authentication? Or does it also works for phone unlock as well?
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It works for phone unlock, Apple Pay and third party apps. So basically it means Face ID is exactly the same with and without a mask across anything you’ve authorised Face ID to work on.
 
Installed iOS 15.4 Beta.


Yup, it unlocks with a mask! Funny thing is when you set it up you don’t have to wear a mask. So me thinks you can wear different masks and it won’t affect the unlock.


Also when I swipe up I don’t get the animations with Face ID. It just unlocks.
 
As another person said, Apple Pay unlocks with a mask on! This time there was a little bit of animation before you got the notification to hold it near the machine.


Finally the mask BS with my iPhone is over!
 
withitnow said:
It works for phone unlock, Apple Pay and third party apps. So basically it means Face ID is exactly the same with and without a mask across anything you’ve authorised Face ID to work on.
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Thanks for clearing that up for me!

But—and this is probably nit-picky—it’s not exactly like regular Face ID. Apple says that turning on the feature does reduce security. So rephrasing what you’re saying, that means it reduces security on ALL uses of Face ID. But it certainly makes things easy to comprehend, and that part is user-friendly! It is a trade off.
 
lkalliance said:
Thanks for clearing that up for me!

But—and this is probably nit-picky—it’s not exactly like regular Face ID. Apple says that turning on the feature does reduce security. So rephrasing what you’re saying, that means it reduces security on ALL uses of Face ID. But it certainly makes things easy to comprehend, and that part is user-friendly! It is a trade off.
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Yes. Of course it is different in terms of authentication as it is only scanning the visible part of the face for authentication rather than your whole face, but this is only when you’re wearing the mask. It still scans the whole of your face for full authentication when you are not wearing a mask. But this doesn’t change the process, which is what I mean when saying it works the same with or without a mask.
 
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fredrik9 said:
Didn’t work well with my, admittedly old, Series 3. The notfication disappeared before I could take any action on it.
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My last watch a Series 3 but it was stainless which has more memory than the aluminum, perhaps the notification lingered more... I don't have a watch since though.
 
JonathanLevine said:
All of this effort for making Face ID work when it can't even see most of your face and they refuse to just bring Touch ID back. Complete bull.
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Grr, Apple did bring back TouchID (and they shouldn't have) on the newest MacBook Pro Max. ? Why, Apple? You put a notch on the display and then omitted FaceID? And you put a TouchID on the keyboard and omitted the rest of the touch buttons? Yes, we use our phones with masks on, but a laptop probably doesn't need a mask. ?
 
H3LL5P4WN said:
No, I think complaining about Apple ditching a less secure technology (Touch ID) is stupid.
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Since when is FaceID with face mask more secure than TouchID with fingerprint...

No, I want TouchID back (doesn't mean they can't also offer FaceID for those who would rather use it).
 
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