Apple may let you use FaceID with a mask in the next iOS update

Using FaceID for unlocking an iPhone and iPads has become much of a hassle ever since the Covid-19 pandemic forced people to wear face masks everywhere. Apple addressed this issue with iOS 13.5 update by allowing the FaceID feature to detect if the user was wearing a mask and quickly ask for a passcode instead of trying to authenticate using a user’s face. With the iOS 14.5 update, the company went a step ahead by letting people with Apple Watches unlock iPhones while wearing a mask as long as their watches were close by. Now, word is that Apple is working on a new feature that will enable iPhone users to use FaceID while wearing a mask.

According to a report by Brandon Butch and MacRumours, Apple is working on a feature that will enable iPhone users to unlock their iPhones while wearing a face mask. Screenshots of the feature shared on Twitter show that the FaceID will use the area around the eyes to identify a person and unlock the iPhone. However, it warns that the feature will work ‘most accurately’ only when it is set-up for full face recognition.

Well this is new 🤔 (iOS 15.4 Beta 1) pic.twitter.com/MSe7hmPGlR

— Brandon Butch (@BrandonButch) January 27, 2022

“FaceID is the most accurate when it’s set up for full-face recognition only. To use FaceID while wearing a mask, iPhone can recognise the unique features around the eye area to authenticate,” Apple says while setting up the feature.

Furthermore, the report says that Apple’s iPhone users will get special toggles in Apple’s Settings app to enable FaceID while using a mask. There is a new ‘Use Face ID with a Mask’ toggle button that can be turned on to enable this feature. Interestingly, there is a new feature to ‘Add Glasses’ to make Face ID more accurate when you’re wearing glasses and a mask at the same time.

As far as availability is concerned, this new feature is expected to arrive with the iOS 15.4 update. While the supported models aren’t known at this time but it isn’t hard to guess that this feature will be available on all the iPhones and iPads that support FaceID, which includes iPhone X and newer models, second-gen 12.9-inch and second-gen 11-inch iPad Pro and newer models.

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