Wired
If you use an iPhone with Face ID, you know that the smartphone cannot be unlocked with a face scan when wearing a face mask. Anyone who does not currently have an Apple Watch, which can be used to unlock the iPhone even with a medical mask in front of the face, cannot avoid manually entering the lock code on the iPhone. This will change with the next iOS 15.4 update, because it finally has a function on board to unlock the iPhone even if the mouth and nose are covered.
New in iOS 15.4: Use Face ID with a mask
Since the beginning of the corona pandemic and the resulting mask requirement, iPhone users have been particularly concerned about the lack of an option to unlock the smartphone using Face ID facial recognition even when wearing a respirator. While the usefulness of a face mask is undeniable under these circumstances, the face covering makes life difficult for users, at least in the context of Face ID. After all, the face scan with a mask has never worked and the iPhone code has to be entered manually every time.
That’s why it feels like a small sensation that Face ID will finally support unlocking with a mask in front of the face with the iOS 15.4 update expected in March. However, the function is not automatically active once the new iOS version is installed on the iPhone. Understandable, especially since the ability to unlock the iPhone with half your face reduces the security aspect of Face ID a bit. According to Apple, “the clear features in the area around the eyes” should be taken into account for authentication. To ensure that unlocking works reliably, Face ID is still configured without a mask.
Unlock iPhone with mask – how it works
We have already been able to understand the whole thing using the first beta version of iOS 15.4 and will show you here in advance how you can set up the feature in the near future.
To do this, open the Settings app and go to “Face ID & Code”. At this level you will find the option “Use Face ID with a mask” which you can turn on with a tap of the switch. Then you have to go through the familiar Face ID configuration again.
If you wear glasses, you also go to “Add glasses” to carry out the configuration with the glasses on. Incidentally, sunglasses are not supported.
Tip: If you want to use the new Face ID feature on your iPhone now, we will show you in another article how you can install the test or beta version of the upcoming iOS 15.4 on your iPhone!
Source: iPhone Tricks