The iOS 15.4 beta that was introduced today added a new feature designed to allow Face ID to be used with a mask and without an Apple Watch for authentication.
Apple says that the feature can "recognize the unique features around the eye" for authentication purposes. If you opt to use this feature during setup, you will need to rescan your face for Face ID. From there, Face ID will be able to unlock your iPhone even when you're wearing a mask.
In the Settings app, there's a new "Use Face ID with a Mask" toggle that can be turned on or off if you change your mind about the mask, and there's a new feature to "Add Glasses" to make Face ID more accurate when you're wearing glasses and a mask at the same time.
Apple warns in the Settings app that Face ID is "most accurate" when it's set up for full-face recognition only. For Face ID with a mask to work, you must be looking at your device to get it to unlock, and it does not work when wearing sunglasses. Face ID with a mask can authenticate Apple Pay payments and it can be used in lieu of a login and password in apps that support Face ID, unlike the prior Apple Watch Face ID feature.
It looks like the Face ID with a mask feature requires an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 model, as the feature is not available for users who have the iPhone 11 at this time.
Well done apple, 2 years to late; in the uk we don’t need masks anymore so maybe apple should of done this 2 years ago, doesn’t seem like a hard thing for them to do
You clearly don't understand development cycles at all.
I'd rather have them not rush out features that create gaping security holes, TYVM.
It's about time. I don't have a Watch and this was the biggest reason Face ID was a downgrade over Touch ID immediately when I got my 13 Pro Max...yes masks are still required in some places.
Tuesday February 8, 2022 1:12 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second betas of iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while there aren't as many new features as we got in the first betas, there are some notable additions and changes worth highlighting.
Tap to Pay on iPhone
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Apple yesterday released the first developers beta of iOS 15.4 with several notable new features. Perhaps the biggest is the ability to use Face ID to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask, without requiring an Apple Watch to do so. In another noteworthy addition, you can now also authenticate Apple Pay transactions while wearing a mask for the first time.
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Monday February 7, 2022 4:07 am PST by Tim Hardwick
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Thursday March 3, 2022 10:44 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is planning to drop its mask requirements for retail and corporate employees in the United States due to a decline in Covid-19 cases and a relaxation of local mandates, reports Bloomberg.
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Thursday January 27, 2022 12:08 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is working on new iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding a slew of new features to the latest iOS operating systems. iOS 15.4 is the biggest update that we've had to iOS 15 to date, and it brings Universal Control, Face ID with a mask, new emojis, and tons more.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Face ID With a Mask
With iOS 15.4,...
Thursday January 13, 2022 4:17 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Earlier this week, display industry consultant Ross Young claimed that iPhone 14 Pro models will feature both hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts that replace the notch. If this design proves to be accurate, it rules out Face ID fully under the display this year.
In light of this latest rumor, we have put together a recap of everything that we have heard so far about Face ID and Touch ID on...
Apple today said iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 will be available to all users next week, following weeks of developer and public beta testing. iOS 15.4 includes major new features for iPhone users, with the most notable perhaps being the ability for users to unlock their iPhone using Face ID while wearing a mask. Apple said that it's been able to update the Face ID system to uniquely identify...
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Leaker Jon Prosser today shared ostensibly accurate renders of the iPhone 14 Pro, providing the most accurate look yet at what the device could look like when it launches later this year.
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Apple today confirmed that the keynote event for the Worldwide Developers Conference will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 6, the first day of WWDC. The keynote will be an online-only event, though a select number of developers have been invited to the Apple Park campus for a viewing event.
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Apple today announced new Pride bands for the Apple Watch, with new Pride Edition Sport Loop and Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop options available.
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This...
Apple on May 16 released iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, bringing improvements for Podcasts and Apple Cash, the ability to see Wi-Fi signal of HomePods, dozens of security fixes, and more.
Top Rated Comments
I'd rather have them not rush out features that create gaping security holes, TYVM.