Test Shows You Can Use an iPhone with a Face Mask, Apple Says You Can’t

With the entire world in lockdown and everyone wearing a face mask when going outside due to the coronavirus outbreak, it goes without saying that systems like Apple’s Face ID aren’t necessarily the most convenient security systems on phones these days.

Pretty much because Face ID means that your iPhone needs to scan the face to unlock the device, so wearing a mask obviously blocks it from doing so.

In this case, many people are actually tempted to remove their face masks, something that is a big no-no these days, especially in crowded places like supermarkets when iPhones are used for contactless payments.

But researchers at Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab have demonstrated that you can actually trick Face ID to work with a face mask, despite Apple insisting you can’t do it.

Scan your face wearing just half of mask

As per WSJ, the researchers show that the whole thing is possible if you train Face ID with only half a mask covering your face and then moving the mask to the other half of the pace during the setup process. I already tried this on my iPhone 11 Pro and it seems to work, albeit I couldn’t get it right from the first attempt.

If it doesn’t work, just try again, and always try to adjust the half of mask on your face until Face ID manages to scan your face correctly.

Apple, on the other hand, insists the only way to use features like Apple Pay, which normally require biometric authentication, is to enter the passcode. Face ID not being able to scan your face when wearing a mask is pretty much a security feature because otherwise unauthorized access to the phone could be possible.

“Face ID is designed to work with your eyes, nose, and mouth visible,” an Apple spokeswoman was quoted as saying by the aforementioned source. “Users can still unlock their devices while wearing a mask by entering their passcode.”