As more users sign onto the first beta for Apple's iOS 12, new discoveries are quickly being made, with the latest centering upon a simple but highly useful new gesture for iPhone X owners.

Currently, when you hold up the iPhone X and Face ID fails, you either have to lower it and raise it again, or press the side button to put the iPhone to sleep and wake it up through another side button press or tapping the display. You can also tap "Cancel" after the failure then swipe up to start over. All of these methods will reactivate a Face ID scan.

iphone x ios 12 beta face id via reddit


As discovered by Redditor shakil-ali, Apple has provided a slightly simpler way to rescan your face in the iOS 12 beta: now when the biometric security feature fails multiple times you can swipe up from the bottom of the iPhone X to get Face ID to scan again, without having to tap or press another button first. This should help to alleviate a small but sometimes frustrating part of unlocking the iPhone X with Face ID.

In regards to other hidden features of iOS 12, we have collected a bunch in a tidbits roundup posted yesterday. These include setting up an "alternate appearance" for Face ID, a new QR code scanner in Control Center, a revamped Battery Usage section in settings, and more.

As a whole, Apple announced iOS 12 with a focus on user privacy and digital health, and when the update launches in the fall iPhone and iPad owners will be able to keep track of everything they do on their devices with features like "Screen Time" in Settings.

Related Forums: iOS 12, iPhone

Top Rated Comments

penajmz Avatar
97 months ago
Just tried this and it works. A really nice fix for an annoyance I had some times.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Neryus Avatar
97 months ago
Amazing. I never knew you could do this. Judging from comments, a lot of other people didn’t know either.
It‘s just not true. You need to either move the phone to a different direction or tap cancel and reswipe.

People that are saying they do this in iOS 11 are lying or not understanding the issue correctly.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johnyslats Avatar
97 months ago
Is this actually new? Have I imagined it or have you been able to do this for a while on iOS 11. Since upgraded to the beta so can’t check
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamiebrown6 Avatar
97 months ago
Article is wrong or misleading. The prompt might be new but since iOS 11 you just swipe up to rescan.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johnyslats Avatar
97 months ago
It's definitely news.
The prompt to swipe up for Face ID is undoubtedly new, but I'm convinced you could actually swipe up on the enter passcode screen to re-initiate a Face ID scan on iOS 11.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joshuamj Avatar
97 months ago
Article is wrong or misleading. The prompt might be new but since iOS 11 you just swipe up to rescan.
It’s accurate! If FaceID fails once on iOS 11, you can swipe up to retry. But if it fails twice and the keypad appears, you’re forced to type your passcode (or lock and unlock to try again. See screenshot.) iOS 12 allows you to swipe up when the keypad is shown.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple's 2026 Smart Home Revamp: All the Rumors

Wednesday November 5, 2025 3:54 pm PST by
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026. Home Hub Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...
apple tv logo physical

New Apple TV Intro Was Made With Practical Effects

Thursday November 6, 2025 7:02 am PST by
The all-new intro sequence for Apple TV was made with practical effects and shot in-camera, Ad Age reports. Rather than using digital techniques, the new sequence was made by shooting large glass versions of the Apple TV logo, with physical motion and changing lighting used to create effects. Apple partnered with TBWA\Media Arts Lab to create the intro. Ad Age released an exclusive look...