iPhone Face ID with mask: It is HAPPENING but iPhone 11, XR, X users! Read this

iPhone Face ID with mask: Apple is testing the feature in iOS 15.4 beta but there are certain drawbacks.

Face ID with a mask is coming to iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

It has been over two years since our identities have involved the face mask. And in these two years, it has been a nightmare for iPhone users who rely on the Face ID unlocking system. However, two years later, Apple has finally figured out how to make the Face ID on your iPhone work even when you are wearing a mask! Yes, with an upcoming iOS 15 update, you will no longer need to take off your mask to unlock your iPhone. But there's a catch.

Apple in its latest developer beta of the iOS 15.4 patch is testing the “Face ID with a mask” feature. “To use Face ID while wearing a mask, iPhone relies on the unique features around the eye area to authenticate. Because Face ID with a mask utilizes less biometric information than Face ID with full-face recognition, there may be circumstances when a user is not as easily recognized as when their full face is visible. In that instance, a user may need to enter their passcode,” says Apple in its official statement.

Face ID with a mask: The queries

Apple says that the Face ID with a mask feature relies on newly developed algorithms that focuses more on the eye region to authenticate the unlock, given that the nose and mouth are covered, which form a major part of the face data. Face ID with a mask feature will support up to four pairs of glasses with each enrolled appearance. 

Will it be less secure? Apple says that the probability of someone using their face to unlock your iPhone is 1 in 1,000,000. If the iPhone struggles to verify, it will ask you or the person to enter the passcode. 

Bad news for iPhone 11 and older models

Apple says that the Face ID with a mask feature relies largely on the “advancements of the TrueDepth camera system”. Unsure of what that means, it appears that the new algorithms need the updated TrueDepth cameras that debuted on the iPhone 12. Hence, Face ID with a Mask will work only on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 generations. 

This means that those using the iPhone 11, iPhone XR, and iPhone X generation of iPhones will miss out on the Face ID with a mask feature. Face ID will continue to work normally on these iPhone models. 

Additionally, Face ID with a mask isn't coming to the iPad Pro models featuring the TrueDepth camera system.