Face ID Not Working? | Here Are 8 Ways to Fix an iPhone’s Face ID
Credit: Harpal Singh / Unsplash
No matter how cool it is to unlock your iPhone with just a quick glance, Face ID can be annoying. Sometimes it might not work for no apparent reason, and for others, you're better off just entering the passcode – especially if you're wearing a mask or something that covers your face. And sometimes, out of nowhere, it might stop working altogether. There may be a few reasons why that happened and a few ways for you to solve it before you panic. Keep reading if you want to learn how to fix your iPhone or iPad's Face ID.
Update Your iPhone to iOS 15.4+
If you're wearing something that covers your face, like a face mask or a scarf, your iPhone's Face ID might not work properly – although Apple has worked to fix this recently in its latest iOS updates!
A quick fix for your Face ID problems, and any other software issues, is to update your iPhone or iPad. If there's a problem with iOS and iPadOS, Apple will fix it with a software update, so it's important to keep your devices updated at all times.
- Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on General.
- Select Software Update.
- If there's a software update available, tap on Download and Install.
After your iPhone's done with the update, try using Face ID and see if that did the trick. If not, keep reading.
Clean Your iPhone
Try is cleaning the notch (the black cutout at the top of your iPhone's screen) and see if that fixes the problem. Sometimes it's possible that something as little as a speck of dust might be covering your device's TrueDepth camera!
You should try cleaning your iPhone or iPad with a soft, slightly damp microfiber cloth. Clean the notch softly until you're sure you removed the residue covering the TrueDepth camera.
Make Sure You're Holding It Right
It's possible that you may be holding your iPhone or iPad in the wrong position. For your iPhone, keep the device vertical. Your iPad lets you use Face ID in both landscape and portrait mode; just make sure you aren't covering the front-facing camera with your hands if you hold it in landscape mode.
- Make sure you're facing the TrueDepth camera like you're taking a selfie.
- You should hold your iPhone anywhere between 10 to 20 inches away from your face.
- Try to hold it naturally at arm's length and make sure the TrueDepth Camera can see your whole face.
Check Your Face ID Settings
If you can't use Face ID to do things like using Apple Pay or autofill your passwords, it's possible that your Face ID settings aren't allowing it. Here's how you can change the settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode.
Once in, you can change your Face ID to work for unlocking your iPhone, using Apple Pay, and other apps that you can lock with Face ID.
Reset Your Face ID Settings
Another quick solution is resetting your Face ID and starting over. That way, you can start over with and set up your Face ID to see if that fixes the problem. Here's what you need to do:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and go to Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode.
- Tap on Reset Face ID.
And that's it. You can go ahead and set up Face ID again. Keep in mind that your iPhone won't ask you to confirm that you want to reset your Face ID, so you need to be sure you want to do it.
Add an Alternate Appearance
If you're not covering your face for some reason, but your iPhone's TrueDepth Camera isn't working right, you can try adding a second Face ID scan. That way, your iPhone can recognize you better, even if you look different.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode.
- Tap on Set Up an Alternate Appearance.
- Follow the instructions on your iPhone.
Keep in mind that you can only have one more alternate appearance. If you want to delete it, you'll need to reset your Face ID, as we showed you before.
Fully Reset Your iPhone or iPad
Granted, this is a bit of an extreme measure, but you can delete all settings and content on your iPhone or iPad and start fresh.
This might actually help fix your Face ID problems, but you should make a backup before you start so you don't lose anything that's on your Apple device.
- Open your iPad or iPhone Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
- Tap on Continue and follow the instructions.
This will get rid of everything your iPhone or iPad had, so make sure you're not going to lose anything that you can't recover. After your device's done deleting everything, set it up and try using Face ID like it's brand new.
Talk to Apple Support
If you've tried everything and your iPhone or iPad still isn't working, you need to talk to the experts. You might be having some sort of hardware problem, so you'll need to talk to someone to repair it for you.
You can go to an Apple retail store or an Apple-authorized service provider so they can help you out. Or you can also go to the official Apple Support website and contact Apple Support online to see what you need to do.
Unfortunately, it's probably going to cost you, but if your iPhone or iPad's still working fine, this little change might give your device a few more years of life.
