You Can Soon Use Face ID With Mask On: Will It Be Accurate?

The global pandemic changed many of the normal day-to-day things and made us adapt to the new normal. One such thing is Face ID, Apple's most secure biometric authentication which just stopped working when a user tried to unlock an iPhone with a mask on. With a face mask on, a user with a thousand-dollar smartphone has to enter a password manually to unlock an iPhone.

It looks like, almost after two years, Apple has found a solution to unlock an iPhone using Face ID even when a user is wearing a mask. Apple is testing the use of Face ID with a mask on iOS 15.4 beta 1 update, which will soon be available for everyone. Here is how it works.

How To Use Face ID With A Mask?

With the iOS 14.5 update, every iPhone user with Face ID will be able to set up this feature. According to screenshots shared by beta testers, one has to setup use a Face ID with a mask to use this feature. This means one has to register the face twice -- once with a mask and once without a mask.

According to Apple, iPhone will be able to recognize unique features around the eyes to authenticate and unlock an iPhone. And one should look at the iPhone to unlock it while wearing a mask. The company also claims that Face ID is most accurate when set to full-face recognition only.

Although the company does not say that Face ID with a mask on is not accurate, the aforementioned statement does re-affirm the same in a subtle way. Hence, although the feature will soon be available for all the iPhones with Face ID hardware, it might not be as secure as full-face Face ID.

Game Changer For iPhone Users

A lot of people tend to remove their mask in public areas just to unlock their iPhones and this feature will definitely be a great add-on for those who might stay outdoors and wants to unlock their iPhone with ease even while wearing a mask. Apple recently launched iOS 15.3, and iOS 15.4 is expected to go live in the next few weeks.