Apple iPhone X Face ID fails to work for family purchases, claim users

Apple iPhone X users have discovered that the Face ID feature cannot be used to authenticate family purchases. The iPhone X is the first smartphone to sport the new Face ID technology instead of the Touch ID sensor.

According to a post on the Apple's iPhone forum, every family purchase request using the Face ID on the iPhone X prompts users to key in their Apple ID and password. The reason behind the same is that the family purchase approval requests do not work with the Face ID on the iPhone X.

Apple devices come with the Family Sharing feature that lets users who wish to be connected for purchasing subscriptions and applications. The other such feature is Ask to Buy that lets children in the family choose the apps that they want to purchase with the approval of a family organizer. The organizer can choose either to approve or decline a purchase from the Apple device.

Previously, the Face ID technology on the device failed to distinguish between a mother and her son because of resemblance in the facial features. Apple also admitted that the chances of bypassing the Face ID security are higher in the case of twins, siblings and children under 13 years of age. This, in turn, affects the effectiveness of the Ask to Buy feature that is turned on by default for children aged below 13. In fact, the support webpage of Ask to Buy does not mention Face ID.

The post of the iPhone forum claims that entering Apple ID credentials is mandatory before authenticating purchases as Apple does not seem to have any other solution to the improper functioning of Face ID. Users have also complained about the company not having a fix for the issue and forcing users to key in their Apple ID credentials every time.

The forum thread is live since the last week and comments show that many users are facing the issue. Given that it is the holiday season in the US, Apple should consider an option to make the purchase of gifts easier for the owners.