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Since many of us have to wear masks due to the coronavirus, trying to open your iPhone with Face ID has become a problem.
However, Apple has added a new feature to the developer version of iOS 13.5 that could fix this.
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The update was demonstrated online through videos shared on Twitter by Robert Petersen and Guilherme Rambo.
Apple also confirmed to us that it released the update in the public and developer beta version of iOS 13.5.
We don’t know yet if the feature, which simplifies the unlock process, will eventually appear in the main update.
The video shared on Twitter shows an updated Face ID that automatically detects someone with a mask.
It then automatically displays the password entry screen for a user to enter their PIN.
Currently, users who wear a mask are greeted with a shaky padlock and the message “Slide up to unlock.”
Automatically displaying the password entry screen may seem like a small step, but it should make things easier for users who unlock their phone multiple times a day.
It could also encourage people not to remove their masks when they don’t have to.
It is important to note that this feature should not make Face ID less secure.
How to unlock Apple Face ID with a mask
Although it doesn’t have a 100% pass rate, researchers at Tencent’s Xuanwu Laboratory found that it can technically train Face ID to recognize it with a mask.
It is about configuring the biometric system while wearing a half mask.
You will first need to go to “Settings” and click on “Face ID and Access Code”.
You can select “Reset Face ID” or set your masked face to “Alternate Appearance”.
Click on your choice and then wear your mask, but fold it in half so that it only fits in the middle of your face.
Your phone may give you a “Face Blockage” message.
If this happens, slowly move the mask away from the center of your face and only cover the tip of your nose.
Eventually you should get the message “Move your head slowly to complete the circle.”
Then you will be asked to do two scans of your face.
Your iPhone should read “Face ID is now set up.”
All you need to do now is put on the mask and try it on.
The researchers who found this method noted that it doesn’t always work, so you may have to be patient or just use your numeric password.
Facial ID should still work when you’re not wearing a mask.
If you still have problems, you can go back to “Settings”, follow the steps above but try wearing a mask on the other side of the face.
You can also try “Set Alternate Appearance” instead of resetting everything.
How does Apple’s FaceID technology work?
Apple’s facial recognition system for the iPhone X isn’t hugely complicated. These are the steps your phone follows:
- The phone will use various sensors to calculate how much light it needs to light up your face.
- He then floods his face with infrared light, which is outside the visible spectrum of light.
- A spotlight projector will produce over 30,000 spots of this invisible light, creating a 3D map of your face.
- An infrared camera will capture images of this dot pattern.
- Once your phone has all that information, you can use the defining features of your face, such as the shape of your cheekbone or the distance between your eyes, to verify your identity.
- Calculate a score between 0 and 1, and the closer you are to 1, the more likely your face is the same as the one stored on your iPhone.
- Apple says there is a one in a million chance that someone else will enter your iPhone with Face ID, although the system has been duped with twins.
- Still, arguably better than the alternative: Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner has a 50,000 chance if it is fooled.
In other news, Apple and Google have started test an application that warns users if they may have been infected with coronavirus.
Apple Maps may soon reveal its nearest coronavirus testing center.
And, experts warned earlier this month that Apple and Google’s contact tracking apps could pose significant risks to people’s privacy.
Will the new face unlock update be helpful to you? Let us know in the comments …
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