iPhone X: Using Apple Pay With Face ID

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone X, people wondered how Apple Pay would work without a Touch ID Home button for confirming payments, but as it turns out, the payments service isn't too much different.

We went through the checkout process with Apple Pay to give MacRumors readers who haven't yet had a chance to use the system a look at just how it works.


To use Apple Pay on iPhone X, you will, of course, need to have Apple Pay set up with a credit or a debit card in the Wallet app.

When you're at a store that accepts Apple Pay, the Apple Pay process is more or less the same as it was with Touch ID, but some of the gestures are different.

When you're ready to check out, press the side button on the iPhone X twice to bring up the default Apple Pay card and authenticate with Face ID. Then hold your iPhone X down to the reader to confirm payment. If you don't want to use your default card, make sure to swap it out with a tap before your iPhone is next to the card reader.

The double-click setting that opens up the Wallet app should be enabled by default, but if it's not, you can turn it on by going to Settings > Wallet > Apple Pay > and toggling on the Double-Click option. It's a feature you're going to want to have activated if you use Apple Pay a lot, because it speeds up the checkout process.

Without double-click turned on, you'll need to hold your iPhone by an NFC-equipped reader to bring up the Apple Pay interface before raising it back up to confirm with Face ID, adding another step to the process.

All in all, Apple Pay on iPhone X is essentially as quick and as easy to use Touch ID once you get used to how it works, but it will take a few payments to become accustomed to the new process if you're used to the Home button.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Popular Stories

iPhone Air

Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:22 am PDT by
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports. The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
sam sung auction

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Wednesday October 22, 2025 4:44 pm PDT by
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name. Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:15 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. iOS 26.1 is currently in beta testing. The update will likely be released in the first half of November, and it is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, but some...
cadillac lyric infotainment

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars [Updated]

Wednesday October 22, 2025 11:34 am PDT by
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down. In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:24 am PDT by
Apple plans to launch a new type of iPhone every year for the foreseeable future, according to an Asia-based source. The detailed information was shared by the account "yeux1122" in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver, citing domestic trend and component research companies. Corroborating other reports, Apple will apparently launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Report: Apple to Skip 'iPhone 19' Name for 'iPhone 20'

Thursday October 23, 2025 4:28 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhone lineup launched in the fall of 2027 will be called the "iPhone 20" models, rather than the "iPhone 19," according to research firm Omdia. Speaking at a conference in Seoul (via ETNews), Omdia Chief Researcher Heo Moo-yeol corroborated rumors that Apple plans to move the launch of its standard iPhone to the first half of the year and provided some additional clarity about...
maxresdefault

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

Wednesday October 22, 2025 10:48 am PDT by
iPhone Air demand failed to meet Apple's expectations and the company's supply chain is scaling back shipments and production, reports Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80 percent between now and the first quarter of 2026, and some components with longer lead times will be discontinued ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's License Feature in Apple Wallet App Launches in Another U.S. State

Thursday October 23, 2025 7:44 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting today, the feature is available to residents of West Virginia. To set it up, open the Wallet app and tap on the plus sign in...
trump white house ballroom

Apple Donating to Trump's $350M White House Ballroom Project

Thursday October 23, 2025 3:55 pm PDT by
Apple is one of several tech companies that will contribute to the construction of U.S. President Donald Trump's 90,000-square-foot ballroom, reports CNN. Construction began on the ballroom this week, and the White House's east wing was torn down. Trump claims that the ballroom will cost $350 million, and that it will be privately funded through donations. The cost has already increased $150 ...

Top Rated Comments

newtestleper Avatar
104 months ago
Super handy that you can "pre-authenticate" before the cashier rings it up on the terminal; makes the process way smoother...
You can do that with touch ID.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakeowens Avatar
104 months ago
I think the pre-authenticate works well, but in general I find the process a little less smooth. Before, all I had to do was hold my phone my phone to the card reader with my thumb already on touch ID and it was instant. Now I have to double click, then wait for face ID to authenticate (Which is not always instant) and then tap. Just a few more things to do.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlueCreek Avatar
104 months ago
I don’t find myself using Apple Pay anymore with my iPhone X, it just seems less convenient, also Face ID fails more often than Touch ID.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johnediii Avatar
104 months ago
Pulling the phone out of my pocket, double clicking a button, holding it up to my face, then back down to the reader seems a lot more inconvenient that pulling the phone out of my pocket with my thumb already on the Home button for TouchID and moving it straight to the reader. This has worked flawlessly for me since my first TouchID enabled iPhone. I suppose we all have to get used to it after this year, though. Unless of course Apple pays attention and quits with this trying to force us into gimmicky tech that is not as convenient to use. But why should we expect Apple to change now, they've been doing this for decades.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
legacyb4 Avatar
104 months ago
Super handy that you can "pre-authenticate" before the cashier rings it up on the terminal; makes the process way smoother...
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miniyou64 Avatar
104 months ago
Lets make everything LESS user friendly so we can sell more phones with a gimmick. What has Apple become?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)