why you should not enable the option

It will be possible to use Face ID with a mouth cap on, but do you have to want that? This is why you should not enable the option.

Using Face ID with a face mask? Maybe but not

The corona pandemic has caused a lot of great suffering, but a small suffering that we all have to deal with is that you can no longer unlock via Face ID with a face mask on your iPhone. That is, if you don’t wear an Apple Watch.

That is about to change. With a future update iOS 15.4 you can enable Face ID to also work with a mouth cap. Provided you have an iPhone 12 or 13, because older models are not supported. It is then even possible to pay with your iPhone, which does not even work with the Apple Watch method.

We have already tested the new function and it works great. You do have to set up Face ID again. The camera then only looks at the area around your eyes. From now on, every time you unlock your iPhone or pay, only that part of your face will be scanned. Face ID with a mouth cap still works just as fast as the normal version.

Less safe

This is useful, especially if you have to wear a mouth cap for large parts of the day. But is it also smart?

When you set up the new Face ID, Apple warns you, “Face ID is most accurate when configured for full face recognition only.” Face ID with a face mask is therefore less accurate, because only a relatively small part of your face is scanned. Just look at a picture of yourself with a mask on and how much you can still see. Less accurate also means less safe.

This Face ID option will also have more trouble with headgear and glasses. Definitely sunglasses are no longer an option. So in exchange for a little dexterity, you not only trade in security, but you make it more difficult for yourself to unlock your device at other times.

Track people?

Now there are also many concerns (especially on social media) about what this technology means for our privacy. Because if it becomes possible on your iPhone to recognize your face with a mask on, it should also be easy for governments and other parties to track people while they cover part of their face.

However, that is no reason not to enable this option. Face ID data stays safe on your phone. These aren’t uploaded to anything, aren’t in iCloud, and aren’t sent to Apple in any other way. They are encrypted on your iPhone where no one can access them. Using Face ID therefore does not ensure that systems are trained to better track people.

However, it does not mean that other parties are not working on such technology. In fact, this technology has been around for a long time and is also used worldwide. Being aware of that and perhaps worrying a little is wise. But you certainly do not help these parties by using Face ID with a mouth cap on your iPhone.

More secure than Touch ID

Face ID with mask is probably still a lot more secure than Touch ID. The chance that someone else can unlock your phone with Face ID is 1 in a million. The chance that someone else can unlock your phone via Touch ID is 1 in 50,000. Unfortunately, it is not yet clear what it is about Face ID including a mouth cap, but it is probably somewhere in between.

Fortunately, enabling Face ID with a mouth cap is an option. You don’t have to enable it. So you have the choice: deliberately make your iPhone less secure to unlock the device a few seconds faster. Are you up for that?

More tips on safety

Is safety important to you? Check these 11 tips for more privacy and security on your iPhone. We also explain everything about the security of Apple Pay.