Revealing how to unlock iPhone with Face ID when wearing a mask

Apple’s Face ID facial recognition technology has made unlocking the iPhone X and 11 series of smartphones a breeze.

However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask caused this function of the iPhone to “lose power”. While iPhone users can still unlock their phones by entering a 6-digit passcode, it’s inconvenient.

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The Straits Times reports that researchers at Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab have discovered a way to train Face ID to recognize a user wearing a mask.

Here are the specific steps to unlock iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask

1. On iPhone, go to Settings (Settings), then to Face ID (Face ID) and Password (Passcode).

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2. You can choose either Reset Face ID or Alternate Appearance, but start with Reset Face ID.

3. Fold the mask in half lengthwise and cover half of the face.

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Tip: Adjust the mask so that it only covers the tip of the nose, not higher.

4. Set up Face ID first, rotate your head according to the on-screen instructions. Wait until the machine says you have completed the first scan.

5. Place the mask covering the other half of the face and perform a second Face ID scan, repeating steps 3 and 4.

6. When the second scan is done, check Face ID by wearing a normal mask to unlock the phone.

If iPhone still doesn’t recognize you, try Alternate Appearance and repeat the steps.

If that also fails, go back to Reset Face ID and start over. Be patient, it may take a few tries until it succeeds.

You will also need to wear a mask starting at the tip of your nose for Face ID to recognize you after successful setup with this trick.

This method is successful with both cloth masks and medical masks.