Face ID with a Mask from Apple is so good that it might put an end to passwords

In iOS 15.4, Apple has finally included the option to utilize Face ID while wearing a face mask, over two years after the COVID-19 outbreak began.

We’ve been using the new iOS 15.4 beta for a few days now, and we’re impressed with how effectively Face ID works with a mask. The days of typing in a six-digit password appear to be numbered.

Face ID with Masks

Long before COVID-19 and the current practice of virtually always wearing a face mask when out in public or traveling by bus, train, or aircraft, there was a discussion over Face ID vs. Touch ID/fingerprint sensor. However, given the whole “covering half of your face” issue, masks are a huge obstacle in allowing facial recognition systems like Face ID to operate for unlocking your phone. It is worth mentioning that this is just one of many features that the latest iOS update has, features such as easily removing duplicate photos are all thanks to the new update.

However, iOS 15.4 seeks to address this by simply allowing Face ID to operate when wearing a mask, focusing on information on the upper region of people’s faces to accurately recognize them and unlock the phone. Apple isn’t the first company to try to solve the Face ID/mask problem: In the iOS 13.5 update, the business included a function for automatically unlocking your iPhone while wearing an Apple Watch, and in the iOS 14.5 release, the company added a feature for automatically unlocking your iPhone when wearing an Apple Watch. The new Face ID mask support, on the other hand, is a lot more simple option that doesn’t necessitate the purchase of extra Apple hardware.

Apple wants to make sure that customers are aware that the new Face ID option is coming. The first thing you’ll notice after installing iOS 15.4 (at least in its current beta form) is a splash screen asking if you want to enable Face ID with a mask. The function is straightforward to set up, albeit you will have to re-register your face.

After that, Face ID with a mask — for the most part — works great, which means it unlocks your iPhone when you look at it, even whether you’re wearing a fabric face mask or a more substantial N95. There are, however, a few oddities. If you use Face ID with a mask and wear glasses, Apple now requires you to scan each pair of glasses you possess. Face ID does not work while wearing a mask or using a separate, unregistered set of glasses. Face ID doesn’t function with a mask, and it doesn’t work with sunglasses, either.

Face ID with a mask is less accurate than conventional Face ID, according to Apple. It’s difficult to say how much less accurate Face ID is when wearing a mask, but it’s worth noting that you could miss certain unlocks when utilizing the function.

Wrapping Up

The simplicity of being able to rapidly unlock your phone without having to remove masks or repeatedly type my password is definitely worth the rare unsuccessful unlock. It’s especially useful when it comes to Apple Pay.

Because iOS 15.4 is still in public beta, you should avoid operating incomplete beta software on your primary device. It’s also feasible that Apple will defer Face ID mask support until a later release if it’s unhappy with how things are currently operating. But, perhaps, in the next week, Apple will make iOS 15.4 and the vital new Face ID feature available to the general public, putting an end to our extended password-entry agony.