Face ID with a Mask in iOS 15.4 requires an iPhone 12 or newer

Apple incorporated a handy new feature that improves the way Face ID works in today’s iOS 15.4 beta, which is accessible to developers. Face ID with a Mask option is now available, allowing you to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask, but you’ll need an iPhone 12 or newer to use it.

Face ID with Masks

To provide an extra degree of protection, an iPhone may currently be unlocked with a mask if you have an Apple Watch for verification, but the new option eliminates the necessity for an Apple Watch. When a mask is worn, a Face ID with a Mask recognizes the region surrounding the eye, which is less secure but more convenient. Users can easily unlock their devices and share SMS and more without having to take off their masks. The mask version of Face ID works with Apple Pay and can be used to verify third-party applications, unlike Face ID on the Apple Watch.

However, Face ID with a Mask is only accessible on a few of Apple’s newest iPhones, despite the fact that Face ID has been available since the iPhone X launched in 2017. Face ID with a Mask is only available on iPhones 12 and later, so you’ll need an iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, or an iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, or 13 Pro Max, as highlighted in our forums.

When you update to iOS 15.4, you won’t see the Face ID with a Mask setup page, nor will you be able to toggle it on in the Settings app if you have an iPhone 11 or earlier.

Wrapping Up

It’s unclear why Apple has limited Face ID with a Mask to iPhones 12 and up, although there might be some variances in Face ID technology over time that allow it to function for some devices but not others in terms of appropriate security. It’s also possible that in future betas, Apple will extend Face ID with a Mask to older iPhones.