iOS 13.5 Beta Makes It Easier to Unlock an iPhone With Passcode When Wearing a Mask

Many people are wearing masks that cover their faces when going outside, visiting stores, and other tasks, and Apple's Face ID iPhones do not unlock when the face is obscured by a mask.

fasterfaceid
In the iOS 13.5 beta, released this morning, Apple has streamlined the speed with which the passcode pops up when a person wearing a mask is detected, making it easier to get into an iPhone with a passcode when ‌Face ID‌ fails.

Speedier access to the passcode interface is noticeable when you swipe upwards on the Home screen when unlocking the ‌iPhone‌, as this action now immediately brings up the passcode interface if your face is covered by a mask.

Previously, the ‌iPhone‌ would attempt to initiate ‌Face ID‌ first, creating a few seconds of delay before the passcode interface was shown. The new, speedier passcode entry method makes it quicker to get into an ‌iPhone‌.

The feature is available in the current iOS 13.5 beta, which should see a public release in the next few weeks.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26 Public Beta Expected This Week as First iOS 27 Rumor Surfaces

Sunday July 20, 2025 7:36 am PDT by
The first iOS 26 public beta should arrive this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "All indications are that iOS 26 should go into the public beta phase this coming week," said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. In a social media post last week, Gurman said that the iOS 26 public beta would likely be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. Apple previously announced...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

iOS 26's Biggest CarPlay Feature Was Quietly Hiding on Apple's Website

Monday July 21, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles. This is arguably the biggest new CarPlay feature coming with the iOS 26 update later this year, and yet Apple did not even mention it during its WWDC 2025 keynote last month. Instead, it was buried on Apple's developer website. iPhone users will be able to...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Friday July 18, 2025 4:23 am PDT by
Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely dates. Like the iPhone 16 series, this year's lineup is expected to include four models – but with a twist. The ‌Plus device is being replaced with an all-new ultra-thin model, while the iPhone 17 Pro and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max are set to...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Automakers Will Offer CarPlay Ultra

Friday July 18, 2025 1:47 pm PDT by
A few months ago, Apple announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of CarPlay. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot afford a $250,000 luxury vehicle, the software system will eventually be available in more affordable vehicles. Apple said "many" other automakers around...
ios 19 messages app

Apple Sues Jon Prosser Over iOS 26 Leaks

Thursday July 17, 2025 8:40 pm PDT by
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June. In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
ipad pro 2024

New iPad Pro Expected This Year With M5 Chip and Two Front Cameras

Sunday July 20, 2025 6:26 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models will be equipped with two front-facing cameras, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the upcoming iPad Pro models with the M5 chip will have both portrait and landscape cameras, letting you capture photos and go on video calls without having to worry about the device's orientation. The current iPad Pro...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26 Public Beta Appears Imminent Based on This Latest Hint

Monday July 21, 2025 7:32 pm PDT by
An anonymous leaker with a proven track record today shared alleged build numbers for the fourth developer betas of iOS 26 and more. The private account on X has accurately leaked build numbers for Apple software updates in the past. We do not link to the account at the owner's request. Here are all of the build numbers shared by the account today: iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 beta 4 (23A5297i)...

Top Rated Comments

thadoggfather Avatar
68 months ago
Power tip: when you swipe up on current versions, press FaceID text in the center of the screen to avoid waiting for it to scan your face and fail, prompting the password after that.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thejadedmonkey Avatar
68 months ago
If only there was some other means of authenticating, that didn't rely on your face being visible.

#TouchIDForEver
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
68 months ago

If only there was some other means of authenticating, that didn't rely on your face being visible.

#TouchIDForEver
If only there were another way of authenticating that didn't rely on biometrics not working with gloves on.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gutefahrt Avatar
68 months ago
This is why I'm still using an 8+. I wear a surgical mask for long periods of time. It's not just unlocking the phone, but all passwords & ApplePay. It's a pain when I use my iPadPro. Please release a combo FaceID / under-screen Fingerprint sensor, Apple.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jarman92 Avatar
68 months ago
Why did this take a pandemic? This process has been way too slow since the iPhone X...
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
killawat Avatar
68 months ago
FaceID is a good test for mask compliance. If your phone doesn't recognize you with one on, you're not wearing it enough!

Jokes aside thank you Apple for trying to address this.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)