USA TODAY International Edition
You can unlock your iPhone even wearing a mask
Having trouble unlocking your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a face mask?
Apple’s latest iPhone software update, iOS 13.5, released Wednesday, is there for you.
Your eyes, nose and mouth must be visible for Face ID, Apple’s facial recognition software, to recognize you. But with the coronavirus, device owners may be wearing masks when out in public. So Apple is making it easier for you to unlock your phone when you have a mask on.
Install the update and you will no longer have to wait for Face ID to fail several times before being prompted to enter your passcode. After Face ID fails for the first time, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen and enter your passcode to unlock your phone or approve an Apple Pay transaction. Or, as soon as you lift up your phone, you can swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen right away.
If Face ID is still too annoying, you can turn it off altogether.
To do that, open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode. Enter your passcode and turn off iPhone Unlock. You also can disable Face ID for specific tasks such as approving Apple Pay transactions. If you turn off Face ID for Apple Pay, you will have to enter your passcode to make purchases.
Wearing a face mask is required to enter businesses or to be out in public in some places. The Centers for Disease Control says masks can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Wednesday’s iOS update also includes the new contact tracing technology Apple has released to help public health officials develop mobile apps to identify and test people who’ve spent time with or near someone infected with the coronavirus.