iOS 15.4 Will Let You Pay With Apple Pay Using Face ID While Wearing a Mask

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.

face id mask
With the release of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 last year, Apple added the ability for users wearing a mask to unlock their iPhone when wearing an Apple Watch, eliminating the need to enter a passcode instead. However, while "Unlock with Apple Watch" allows users to unlock their device while wearing a mask, other features that rely on Face ID, such as ‌Apple Pay‌ and in-app authentication, do not work.

That will change when iOS 15.4 is released to the public, after which users will also be able to make ‌Apple Pay‌ purchases and use ‌Face ID‌ within apps when wearing a face covering. That said, Apple is warning that using ‌Face ID‌ with a mask is less secure, and the biometric authentication system remains "most accurate" when used with full-face recognition.

To enable ‌Face ID‌ while wearing a mask, an iPhone "can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate," according to Apple. The feature in the first beta is limited only to the iPhone 12 and later, meaning users of older ‌iPhone‌ models will miss out. Alongside ‌Face ID‌ with a mask, Apple has also added the ability to configure ‌Face ID‌ while wearing glasses.

iOS and iPadOS 15.4 are likely to be released to the public later this Spring and include new emojis, an Apple Card widget, Universal Control, and more. Check out everything new in the first beta with our roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Popular Stories

iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
2007 iPhone

Apple Discontinuing This 18-Year-Old iPhone Feature

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:51 pm PST by
The end of an 18-year era is on the horizon for the iPhone. Apple reportedly plans to announce a new iPhone SE as soon as next week, and the device is expected to feature a full-screen design with Face ID, instead of a Touch ID home button. That means Apple will no longer sell any new iPhone models with a home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched. The home button...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
Apple Leak Feature

Apple Leaker Issues Apology: 'Profound and Expensive Mistake'

Friday February 7, 2025 9:21 am PST by
Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more. As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve...
imac video apple feature

Apple to Announce New Products Next Week

Saturday February 8, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple has yet to release any new devices in 2025, but at least two new products are expected to be announced next week, according to rumors. Below, we outline the new Apple products that are likely to be unveiled next week. iPhone SE 4 Apple plans to announce the long-rumored iPhone SE 4 as soon as next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new iPhone SE is rumored to...

Top Rated Comments

44267547 Avatar
40 months ago

…Only 2 years late, we locked down in January 2020.
Are you a software engineer?

I ask, because comments like yours doesn’t indicate that we understand the full context of why this feature took as long as it did. I think we need to be open minded here.

The reality is, we don’t know if this was a hardware implementation that required tweaking advancements of the iPhone as it progresses with Face ID, just as much as it was software collaboration to make this feature possible. I’m guessing both had to come to fruition for this to be finally ready.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
40 months ago

Ummmm.... my prediction is this will be hacked shortly.
Hacked?

Please, elaborate.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DanTSX Avatar
40 months ago

If you use an Apple Watch to unlock your phone while wearing a mask then it means you can Apple Pay with the Watch, no need to remove your mask, regardless of iOS or iPhone version.
Or you can just Apple Pay with the watch…
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reeneman Avatar
40 months ago
15.4 seems like the very solid and kind of exciting update we’ve been waiting for since the 15.0 release.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thadoggfather Avatar
40 months ago

I’m not sure you can say it has less info. Seems like it has more.
How? Your face is covered that’s less facial info
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danfango Avatar
40 months ago

Or you can just Apple Pay with the watch…
This. So much this.

I don't make payments on my phone any more because the watch is so much more convenient.

Especially here in London as you can use it for TFL (local transit for the folk not in the UK) universally just by waving it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)