It is very easy to set up Face ID on your iPhone or iPad if you are an iOS user. It is also very important that you do so because it is one of the most secure means of security out there.
Face ID is more than just a fancy way to unlock your mobile. You can also use it to verify account credentials, authenticate payments and generally secure your daily digital activities. Gone are the days of tapping in passcodes or resting your finger for print recognition. With just a quick look at your face, the latest Apple devices can tell if they’re being held by their rightful owner.
But what exactly is Face ID – and how does it work?
Face ID
Apple’s Face ID is a facial-recognition technology that replaces Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint system in the latest iPhones.
Face ID arrived with the iPhone X in 2017, heralding the end of the home button on Apple’s top-flight smartphones. Since then, every flagship iPhone has shipped with the face-scanning tech built-in, including the Mini, Pro, and Pro Max variants of each generation.
The new M2-powered iPad Pro also includes the TrueDepth front camera system, which means you get a regular selfie camera as well as additional sensors that can 3D-map your face.
Face ID uses a “TrueDepth camera system”. This consists of sensors, cameras, and a dot projector at the top of the iPhone display in the notch to create a detailed 3D map of your face. Every time you look at your phone, the system conducts a secure authentication check, enabling your device to be unlocked or your payment to be authorized quickly and intuitively if it recognizes you.
How Face ID works
Face ID works by scanning the contours of your face. When you want to unlock your iPhone or iPad Pro, it rapidly maps your face with thousands of infrared dots, then looks for a match against the reference data it has for your face. How? The secret lies in Apple’s TrueDepth camera.
TrueDepth camera system
This clever array sits beside the front-facing lens on your iPhone or iPad Pro. Equipped with a proximity sensor and flood illuminator, it can detect your face, even after dark. Each time you glance at your iPhone X (or newer), the TrueDepth camera system will detect your face with a flood illuminator, even in the dark.
An infrared camera will then take an image, and a dot projector will project out over 30,000 invisible infrared dots. This system uses the infrared image and the infrared dots, and pushes them through neural networks to create a mathematical model of your face.
Neural networks
The resulting infrared image and depth map are then run through the neural engine in Apple’s Bionic chips. The two data sources are combined to create a mathematical model of your mug. This is compared to the facial data that your iPhone has on file. If your face fits, you’re in.
And thanks to advanced machine learning hardware, this invisible wizardry all happens in an instant.
Apple said it worked with thousands of people across the world and took over a billion images. And with that, it developed multiple neural networks to form its Face ID technology.
Bionic neural engine
In order to process all the data needed for Face ID, via machine learning, Apple had to develop the A11 Bionic neural engine. This chip was upgraded to the A12 Bionic neural engine in the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR devices, offering further improvements to the Face ID technology.
This was followed by the A13 in the iPhone 11 models, the A14 in the iPhone 12 models, and the A15 in the iPhone 13 models.
In a nutshell, the chips are specialized hardware built for a set of machine learning algorithms. They can handle hundreds of billions of operations per second and can therefore be used for technology, such as real-time Face ID recognition.
Face ID is simple to use and works almost every time (unless you’re wearing a mask). It’s 30% faster now than it was when it first launched too and more angles are also supported, allowing you to unlock your device when it is flat on the table so long as you’re close by. Whereas, when it first arrived, you had to pick your iPhone up.
Face ID also adapts to changes in your appearance, such as wearing cosmetic makeup or growing facial hair. If there is a more significant difference in your appearance, like shaving off a beard, Face ID will confirm your identity by using your passcode before it updates your face data.
It is designed to work with hats, scarves, contact lenses, and most sunglasses, but it doesn’t work with a face mask. A software update arrived with iOS 14.5 that enabled Face ID to work when you’re wearing a face mask, but you have to be wearing an unlocked Apple Watch.
How To Set Up Face ID On iPhone Or iPad
To set up Face ID, make sure that nothing is covering the TrueDepth camera or your face. If something is obstructing your nose or mouth, like glasses or a face mask, you might be asked to temporarily remove these items during setup.
You can also use Face ID with face masks if you use iPhone 12 or later with iOS 15.4 and later. Face ID works best when your iPhone or iPad is approximately 10–20 inches from your face.
To set up Face ID:
- Go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode. If asked, enter your passcode. If you didn’t set a passcode, the system will ask you to create one to use as an alternate way to verify your identity.
- Tap Set Up Face ID.
- Hold your device in portrait orientation, position your face in front of your device, then tap Get Started.
- Position your face inside the frame and gently move your head to complete the circle. If you’re unable to move your head, tap Accessibility Options.
- When you finish the first Face ID scan, tap Continue.
- Gently move your head to complete the circle for a second time.
- Tap Done.
To choose features that you want to use Face ID with or reset Face ID, go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode.
How to Unlock Your iPhone or iPad with Face ID
- Raise to wake or tap to wake your iPhone or iPad.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the Lock screen.
- If you’re using an iPhone, hold it in portrait orientation, then glance at it.
On iPad or iPhone 12 or later, you can hold your device in either portrait or landscape orientation. If it’s in landscape orientation, make sure that your finger isn’t covering the TrueDepth camera. Then glance at the screen. If you’re wearing a face mask that covers your mouth and nose, you’ll be asked to enter your passcode after swiping up.
To turn this feature on or off, go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode, then tap iPhone Unlock or iPad Unlock.
How to Sign in with Face ID
You can use Face ID to sign in to certain apps and autofill user names and passwords for websites.
Sign in to apps
You can use Face ID to sign in to apps that support signing in with Touch ID:
- Open the app and tap sign in.
- If asked, allow the app to use your username or password.
- Glance at your iPhone or iPad to sign in.
To see and control which apps use Face ID to sign in, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and tap Other Apps.
If you are using an app that supports Face ID but the app does not ask you to use Face ID to sign in, then you might need to manually sign in to the app first.
Autofill passwords in browser
You can use Face ID to autofill saved user names and passwords for websites:
- Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and turn on Password AutoFill.
- Open your browser and go to a website.
- Tap the sign-in field. If you see your username or password appear above the keyboard, tap it.
- Glance at your iPhone or iPad to autofill your username and password.
Does Face ID work for payments?
Yes, aside from unlocking your iPhone, Face ID can be used to pay for things via Apple Pay.
You’ll need to double-tap the Power/Wake button on the side of your iPhone X or newer device as usual. You’ll then need to look at your device to authenticate, and once authenticated, hold it near the contactless payment terminal.
How to Use Face ID to make purchases
You can also use Face ID to authenticate purchases with Apple Pay and in the iTunes Store, App Store, and Book Store in Apple Books.
Use Face ID with Apple Pay
To make a purchase in a store:
- Make sure that you have set up Apple Pay and turned it on in Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
- Double-click the side button to use your default card. To use a different card, double-click the side button, tap your default card, then choose another card.
- Glance at your iPhone to authenticate with Face ID. If you’re wearing a face mask that covers your mouth and nose but Face ID with a mask isn’t set up, tap Pay with Passcode and enter your passcode instead.
- Hold the top of your iPhone near the contactless reader.
- Wait for Done and a checkmark to display.
To make a purchase within an app or on a website in Safari:
- Tap the Buy with Apple Pay button or choose Apple Pay as the payment method. Confirm your payment information. To choose a different card to pay with, tap the Next button > next to your card.
- Double-click the side button, then glance at your iPhone or iPad.
- Wait for Done and a checkmark to display.
Use Face ID in the iTunes Store, App Store, and Book Store in Apple Books
To use Face ID to purchase content from the iTunes Store, App Store, and Book Store, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and make sure that iTunes & App Store is turned on. Then follow these steps:
- Open the iTunes Store, App Store, or Book Store, then tap something that you want to buy.
- When asked to pay, double-click the side button, then glance at your iPhone or iPad. If you’re wearing a face mask that covers your mouth and nose but Face ID with a mask isn’t set up, tap Pay with Passcode and enter your passcode instead.
- Wait for Done and a checkmark to display.
How secure is Face ID?
During its initial stages, Apple said it worked hard to ensure Face ID could not be tricked by technicalities, like photographs. It even worked with professional mask-makers and make-up artists in Hollywood to train its neural networks and thus protect Face ID against those sorts of bypass attempts.
Your face data is also protected by a secure enclave in the Bionic chips. Also, it does all the processing on the chips, whether that be the A11, A12, A13, A14 or A15. That means your face data is not sent to a server.
Face ID also requires your attention to unlock. Therefore, if you close your eyes, or if you are looking away, your phone will not unlock.
According to Apple, the chances of someone unlocking your iPhone using Face ID is one in one million. This is an improvement over Touch ID, which, according to Apple, has a false-positive rating of one in 50,000.
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