Chinese security researcher Wish Wu was set to give a talk on hacking Face ID at the Black Hat Asia hacking conference in Singapore in March 2019, but at the request of his employer, he's canceled the talk, reports Reuters.

His presentation, called "Bypass Strong Face ID: Everyone Can Deceive Depth and IR Camera and Algorithms," supposedly offered details on a way to get past Face ID on the iPhone X "under certain conditions."

iphone x face id
Curiously, the Wu says that his hack did not work on the iPhone XS and XS Max. Given that the three smartphones use the same Face ID system, it's not entirely clear why a bypass method that works on the iPhone X wouldn't also work on Apple's newer devices.

According to an abstract of the talk, Face ID was able to be hacked on the iPhone X with an image printed on a black and white printer and some tape.

Wu was asked by his employer, Ant Financial, to withdraw from the talk. Ant Financial is known for its Alipay mobile and online payments platform, which works with Face ID.

Wu told Reuters that he agreed with the decision to withdraw his talk, saying he was only able to reproduce hacks on iPhone X under certain conditions, but that it did not work with iPhone XS and XS Max.

"In order to ensure the credibility and maturity of the research results, we decided to cancel the speech," he told Reuters in a message on Twitter.

In a statement, Ant Financial told Reuters that the research on the Face ID verification mechanism is "incomplete" and would be "misleading" if it were to be presented at Black Hat Asia. Despite this, the Black Hat conference said Wu's talk was accepted in the first place because Wu "convinced its review board he could pull off the hack."

A Face ID bypass or hacking method would be major news, as the feature uses 3D facial recognition technology to prevent it from being fooled by photographs, masks, and other means.

As Reuters points out, there have been no reports of a successful Face ID hack that others have been able to replicate since Face ID was introduced in 2017. Vietnamese company Bkav posted a few videos of Face ID being bypassed with a well-made mask, but other researchers have not been able to duplicate those results.

Face ID is not infallible, however, and has issues with facial recognition with children and identical twins.

Top Rated Comments

A MacBook lover Avatar
85 months ago
There's no mention of Android (but I agree). This just shows that Apple's Face ID is more complex than we think it is and to be indeed bypassed, there has to be serious work involved.

But since they claim it doesn't work on the newer iPhones, why bother that much? Of course the one on the X is outdated and the Xs uses more advanced algorithms, so it's more secure, in a way.
Since there are endless posts of Apple hate rushing to be the first comment, I decided to rush in with love.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A MacBook lover Avatar
85 months ago
More proof that Apple is the best and android is a joke
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
85 months ago
Article quote:

“As Reuter points out, there have been no reports of a successful Face ID hack that others have been able to replicate since Face ID was introduced in 2017. “


Someone still trying to debunk Face ID.....Next.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SSD-GUY Avatar
85 months ago
He Wish-es his claims were true.

It’s ok, I can see myself out.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
85 months ago
He Wish-es his claims were true.

It’s ok, I can see myself out.
Beat me to it... I was going to go with 'Wishful thinking' ;) :D
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alpi123 Avatar
85 months ago
More proof that Apple is the best and android is a joke
There's no mention of Android (but I agree). This just shows that Apple's Face ID is more complex than we think it is and to be indeed bypassed, there has to be serious work involved.

But since they claim it doesn't work on the newer iPhones, why bother that much? Of course the one on the X is outdated and the Xs uses more advanced algorithms, so it's more secure, in a way.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...