Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone X Why doesn’t Face ID automatically try again to scan my face?

B

Bladery

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 12, 2015
415
113
hey guys,

I noticed that sometimes Face ID fails or it doesn’t even try to scan my face.
Then I have to move my phone away from my face and hold it again in front of it.

Why doesn’t Apple simple allow to e.g. tap the screen and Face ID will try it again?
It’s annoying to lift my phone all the time.

Or is there already a possibility?
 
Bladery said:
hey guys,

I noticed that sometimes Face ID fails or it doesn’t even try to scan my face.
Then I have to move my phone away from my face and hold it again in front of it.

Why doesn’t Apple simple allow to e.g. tap the screen and Face ID will try it again?
It’s annoying to lift my phone all the time.

Or is there already a possibility?
Click to expand...

Just hit cancel, swipe up from the bottom and then it will rescan.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newtons Apple
BasicGreatGuy said:
Set up FaceID again. It may not have been setup properly the first time. Are you being consistent in raising the phone to the same place every time?
Click to expand...
Not always. Sometimes I hold my phone a bit closer and it doesn’t try to scan. Then a simple tap on the screen would be handy
 
Newtons Apple said:
Try not holding it so close to your face. My FaceID works even when the iPhone is at full arms reach.
Click to expand...

Wow...not for me. My X Constantly asks for pass code at arms length. Only seems to work at half distance.
I also had great trouble authenticating yesterday digging my car out of the snow, Not sure if it was the sun, or glare, but FaceID was just terrible. I would have never had an issue with TouchID. Apple really needs to improve this technology in my opinion before it can seriously replace TouchID for me.
 
Raist3001 said:
Wow...not for me. My X Constantly asks for pass code at arms length. Only seems to work at half distance.
I also had great trouble authenticating yesterday digging my car out of the snow, Not sure if it was the sun, or glare, but FaceID was just terrible. I would have never had an issue with TouchID. Apple really needs to improve this technology in my opinion before it can seriously replace TouchID for me.
Click to expand...

I am afraid I do not need it improved. Works very well for me. I do not even thinks about it anymore, I just swipe up and it is ready.
 
Newtons Apple said:
I am afraid I do not need it improved. Works very well for me. I do not even thinks about it anymore, I just swipe up and it is ready.
Click to expand...

I always find it difficult to believe that people haven't any issues with FaceID and that it works flawlessly all the time :) That is not to say you truly don't have any issues. If you don't that's great. Wish I could say the same.
 
@Raist3001, Re-scan your face and this time hold the phone not too close to your face. During the scan keep the phone where you normally hold the phone at all times. In my case it was about 12” away from my face.

I never had a single problem with Face ID from day one and never had to re-scan. To my surprise, my initial scan was without glasses and the first time I put my glasses on, it didn’t even hesitate to recognize my face. Now, with or without glasses, my phone unlocks immediately. It even works when the phone is at an angle and at arms length.

As far as I’m concerned it’s as good as it gets.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: eltoslightfoot
Raist3001 said:
I always find it difficult to believe that people haven't any issues with FaceID and that it works flawlessly all the time :) That is not to say you truly don't have any issues. If you don't that's great. Wish I could say the same.
Click to expand...

I am like you except I find it hard to believe people are having issues with FaceID as it works so well for me. It is possible that maybe your phone's dot projector or reader my be slightly out of alignment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bingeciren
Newtons Apple said:
I am like you except I find it hard to believe people are having issues with FaceID as it works so well for me.
Click to expand...
I can understand that. You have never had to enter your pass code when you thought FaceID should have authenticated you?

It is possible that maybe your phone's dot projector or reader my be slightly out of alignment.
Click to expand...
That of course is possible. It's also possible that there are many people then that could have defective scanners.
 
Raist3001 said:
I can understand that. You have never had to enter your pass code when you thought FaceID should have authenticated you?


That of course is possible. It's also possible that there are many people then that could have defective scanners.
Click to expand...

Times mine does not work is when it was sitting on my desk and I did not lean over far enough, but if I pick it up and hold it pointed at my face 99% of the time it works. Like I said I do not even think about it anymore.

I am far from being alone here and other's FaceID works as well as mine. Not trying to convince you, if I were you and had your problems, I could not be convinced. Just telling you how mine works.
 
chabig said:
Of course it's possible, but it's not likely.
Click to expand...
So it's user error?
Newtons Apple said:
I am far from being alone here and other's FaceID works as well as mine. Not trying to convince you, if I were you and had your problems, I could not be convinced. Just telling you how mine works.
Click to expand...

Far from being alone at my end of the spectrum either :)
I am not looking to convince anyone that FaceID is crap, because I don't believe that. For me its a struggle but understand that it's only the first release of the technology.
 
Raist3001 said:
So it's user error?
Click to expand...
I didn’t say that. There are too many reasons for it not to work that it’s impossible to speculate about reasons. But defective parts are probably the least likely reason. Why? Because those are built and tested to strict standards. Real world conditions vary greatly from use to use.
 
chabig said:
Maybe. There are too many reasons for it not to work that it’s impossible to speculate about reasons. But defective parts are probably the least likely reason. Why? Because those are built and tested to strict standards. Real world conditions vary greatly from use to use.
Click to expand...
I don't believe we can say for sure that because a part is tested to strict standards that they won't fail. Obviously the list of replaced iPhone's due to various faulty parts attests to that.

My issues with FaceID is not user error. I can assure everyone of that :)
 
Raist3001 said:
I don't believe we can say for sure that because a part is tested to strict standards that they won't fail.
Click to expand...
I didn’t say that either. I said that Apple shipping phones with defective scanners is not likely.
 
Raist3001 said:
Wow...not for me. My X Constantly asks for pass code at arms length. Only seems to work at half distance.
I also had great trouble authenticating yesterday digging my car out of the snow, Not sure if it was the sun, or glare, but FaceID was just terrible. I would have never had an issue with TouchID. Apple really needs to improve this technology in my opinion before it can seriously replace TouchID for me.
Click to expand...

I wonder if there is something wrong with your dot projector? It might be worth trying to set FaceID up again. My experience echoes what Newton's Apple wrote: If it's too close to my face (talking less than 6 inches... which might be the case if I'm not wearing my glasses), FaceID will often fail. At arms length it almost never fails. Even a bit farther than that works well. I often have my phone sitting in a stand on my desk. It's about 10 inches beyond my reach. If I get a notification I can just look at the display and it will unlock instantly and show me the text of the notification. The only issues I have are when half my face is obscured (like half buried in a pillow). I think it failed on me yesterday when I yawned at the same time I looked at my phone.

The only downside about setting up FaceID again is that you have to re-train FaceID. Over time it learns your different looks (with or without glasses, facial hair, etc.). I usually wear glasses so I had them on when I set it up. The first few times I tried to unlock without my glasses it failed, but after a few failures it started working just as well with or without my glasses (even works fine with sunglasses).
 
chabig said:
I didn’t say that either. I said that Apple shipping phones with defective scanners is not likely.
Click to expand...

Well you said " But defective parts are probably the least likely reason. Why? Because those are built and tested to strict standards."

That reads to me that my scanner is less likely the issue to fail because it would have been tested to strict standards, as though tested parts don't fail?

If I misunderstood, my apologies.
sean000 said:
I wonder if there is something wrong with your dot projector? It might be worth trying to set FaceID up again.
Click to expand...
I thought so too. I have set up FaceID a few times with various differences. I still cannot claim that FaceID works flawlessly for me unfortunately.
 
Last edited:
I also think Face ID needs to be improved!

But is there any trick what I can do to quickly get a re scan if it doesn’t scan my face at first?
 
Bladery said:
I also think Face ID needs to be improved!

But is there any trick what I can do to quickly get a re scan if it doesn’t scan my face at first?
Click to expand...

If faceID does not authenticate for me on the first try, re positioning the phone on the pass code screen usually always re authenticates me.
 
Yeah but it would be so easy to tap on the screen and iPhone tries to scan again
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back