How to set up Face ID with a mask

iOS 15.4 added the ability to set up Face ID to identify you with a mask. Read more in our tutorial on how to do this!


Biometrics is a great way to gain access to your smartphone, because it is convenient, unique and very secure. In the case of the iPhone, it uses Face ID to log into your phone, and additional hardware is used to make sure it’s secure. However, there is one very big drawback, and that is when you wear a mask. Obviously, the mask covers a lot of your face, and it can be difficult to quickly and easily unlock your iPhone if you have one. Apple originally managed to get around this by letting you unlock your phone when wearing your Apple Watch and scan the top half of your face, but iOS 15.4 took that a step further and introduced Face ID support while wearing a mask.

Face ID with a mask

How it works is that your smartphone will pay particular attention to the area around your eyes when scanning your face for face unlock. This means that while it’s a bit less secure, you can actually easily unlock your phone when you’re in public and wearing a mask. Even better, you won’t need to shell out a few hundred dollars for a shiny new Apple Watch just to quickly unlock your phone. Obviously, you could have entered a passcode to unlock your phone every time instead, but that’s slow, not to mention annoying.

Note that just like with regular Face ID, you’ll need to look at your phone to unlock it. Please keep in mind that this also only works on iPhone 12 and above.


How to set up Face ID with a mask

Setting up Face ID with a mask on the iPhone 13 Pro was a very simple process, and it will be the same for the iPhone 14 series. You’ll need to make sure you’re using iOS 15.4 or later in order to proceed, so be sure to check out our how-to install iOS betas.

  1. First, go to your Settings, and go to the Face ID section. Scroll down to the toggle that says “Use Face ID with a mask” and flip it.
  2. Be sure to remove any face coverings when scanning your phone, as taking off a mask is required. Attempting to scan with face covered will result in a warning. It also requires that the face being scanned is the same face that has already been registered to unlock your phone before.
  3. Rotate your head around the bubble that appears until it tells you it has registered your face. Once this is done, you should notice that the “Use Face ID with mask” toggle is now enabled and that you can unlock your phone while wearing a mask.

Although many areas have raised mask requirements, it is helpful if you are still wearing a mask or if you are still in an area that requires one. It’s a feature that saves you from having to buy an Apple Watch if you want to Do Frequently wear a mask while keeping the convenience of Face ID.

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