You already know what Face ID is, right? It's Apple's system that lets you unlock your iPhone or iPad, authorize purchases, sign in to apps, and much more just by looking at the device. It is the evolution of Touch ID and that many users want it to return. Above all, during the pandemic when, due to the mandatory nature of the masks, there was no one to unlock the terminals, until they updated it. It is not something that comes installed as standard, since it has to be configured. It works very well and very fast, but sometimes it doesn't work. That's when you should review this blog post and see if some of the options solve the problem you have.
We are clear that Face Id needs to be set. For that we must go to Settings> Face ID> Code> Configure Face ID. We need to hold the device vertically, put our face in front of the device, and then start. We follow the instructions, which are basically to place the face inside the frame and slowly move the head to complete the circle. When the process is finished, you will be able to use this system to be able to unlock or make payments. Bearing in mind that it always works well. If it doesn't work, check these parameters and we may find a solution.
The first thing we must do is determine the reason why it does not work. This will take a short time and we will know almost immediately. Considering that we have set up Face ID and followed the steps above, this may be a temporary issue. Restarting the terminal would be enough. But if the problem persists, we will look for other solutions.
Clean up the TrueDepth camera area
The TrueDepth camera on the top of your iPhone may be dirty because with its own use it generates dirt that should not affect it, but sometimes, due to a one-time event, it may have become more dirty than normal and that is why it does not work. To do this, take a clean section, preferably cotton and leave no lint or debris. Slide the cloth gently, it is not necessary to press too hard, unless we see embedded dirt. To do this, do not use any household cleaner. simply moisten the cloth or use a solution based on isopropyl alcohol especially for electronic devices.
You use a protector that is too thick
You may have just installed a screen protector to prevent your screen from cracking or getting scratched. But some models are too thick and that prevents us from being able to use the TrueDepth camera in the normal way. Visual interference occurs and the camera cannot distinguish the face and therefore does not work for security. Try to remove and test without it to see if it works.
Don't obstruct the camera
It seems like a truism, but sometimes we are covering the camera with something, totally or partially, and we don't let it do its job. Usually the device tells us that the camera is covered and therefore cannot get Face ID to work. But if it is not completely covered, it is likely that the warning will not jump and therefore we have to be on the lookout and determine if it is indeed free of interference.
Enable Face ID for third-party apps
Remember that Face ID must be activated for use with third-party applications. Because it is well configured and you use it to unlock the terminal or make payments, it does not mean that you can use it with applications from other developers. You must activate it manually and sometimes when updates to those applications are installed you have to repeat the activation process. For that, you must:
Open Face ID in your options and search for the application in question and activate the unlock function.
An App may have frozen and prevented Face ID from working properly
Sometimes Face ID may not work when you try to enter an app if it is “stuck”, frozen or stuck in the background. To solve this, what we have to do is close the application in question. Reopen it and start the process again.
If it doesn't work for now, reset Face ID
If you have reached this point and we are still the same as when we started, what you should do is restart the Face ID setup process. Clears all parameters and disables the function. Restart the terminal, it does not matter if it is iPhone or iPad. Once it starts again, We started the process indicated at the beginning of this post. It is configured manually and we try again. The most normal thing is that it has been solved.
If nothing works, reset
Before you start, make sure you have the iPhone or iPad updated to the latest version.
Now yes. If nothing works, we can only take the terminal to repair and determine the problem that causes it to not work. However, we can reset the iPhone or iPad to DFU mode. Follow this tutorial and you will have it ready and we hope that now it will work at all.
I hope you were able to fix the issue why Face ID is not working. Keep in mind that you can always perform the same actions with a code which you also need to configure. In this case, we advise you, for security, that it be as long as possible, which is six figures. I know it's a bit more of a hassle, but it's also effective and if you have an old terminal and wear a mask, you'll have no choice but to proceed this way. In any case, if it is not fixed, you will have to think about looking for a professional or opt for changing the model and acquire one of the models of the new iPhone or iPad. It may not be the cheapest solution, but it is the perfect excuse to modernize our terminals. Whatever they are.
By the way, if you have solved this problem in some other way, we will be happy to read it in the comments and thus be able to learn together and that those who are in the same situation can solve the problem.
