Nearly two years after the Kovid-19 epidemic, Apple has finally made Face ID useful in iOS 15.4 by adding the ability to use the Face Unlock feature when wearing a face mask.

I've been testing the new iOS 15.4 beta for a few days now and I'm pleasantly surprised at how well Face ID works with the skin; furthermore, I enjoy using my iPhone the way it was used for the original purpose. To work instead of punching in a six-digit access code dozens of times when I leave the house.

The controversy of Face ID vs. Touch ID / fingerprint sensor was a conversation long before COVID-19 and it was a new rule to wear face masks almost continuously in public places or when traveling by bus, train or plane. But while masks are a great way to prevent the spread of disease, they're a huge hurdle to letting facial recognition tools like Face ID work to unlock your phone, given the "half your face lock" factor. .

iOS 15.4, however, is meant to fix this by simply identifying people's faces by zooming out the details on top of their faces, using only Face ID when they're wearing a mask. This isn't Apple's first attempt at solving the Face ID/Mask issue: iOS 13.5 will recognize when you put on the mask and display a password prompt faster, and the company has added a feature to automatically unlock your iPhone when you finally get it. put it on apple watch IOS 14.5 year update. But the new Face ID Mask support is a more streamlined solution that doesn't require the purchase of additional Apple hardware.

A more optimized solution for Face ID when wearing a mask
Apple really wants to make sure consumers know it's adding new Face ID options. After installing iOS 15.4 (at least in its current beta form), the first thing you see is a splash screen asking if you want to enable Face ID with a mask. Setting up a feature is relatively easy, even if you have to re-register your face (perhaps this will allow Apple to dial in more detail around your eyes).

Once you're done, Face ID with the mask, for the most part, works great, meaning it works to unlock your iPhone when you see it, even if you're wearing a cloth face mask or more. Remarkable N95.

However, there are some strange quirks. If you wear a face ID with a mask and glasses, Apple now asks you to scan the baseline of each pair of glasses you own. And when I switch to a separate unregistered pair of glasses, Face ID doesn't work when I'm wearing a mask. Face ID with a mask also doesn't work with sunglasses.

Covering most of my forehead, I had other hiccups like a cap covered with an ear flap that covered most of my head. But I've also had some impressive success: Wearing my full ski gear knit beanie, face mask, and goggles (albeit a fantastic pair of goggles) is still enough to get Face ID to work and unlock my phone.