iOS 15.4 beta allows you to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask

Author | Wang Qirui

Leifeng.com reported on January 18 that Apple iOS 15 will allow users to unlock their phones without removing their masks. The iOS 15.4 beta currently released to developers will include the FaceID option among the new security features.

It is understood that this update appears under "Settings", "Face ID & Passcode", and it will give users the option to read the part of the face that appears above the mask to unlock the phone.

Simply put, the system uses the user's eye features and surrounding environment to identify authenticity, and if they match, the phone can be unlocked.

Currently in the iOS 15.4 beta, there is a warning on the Face ID settings page that "Face ID is most accurate when it is set to full face recognition only."

Beta software is full of uncertainty, and this feature could be removed when it is released to the public. iOS developer betas go through multiple rounds of updates before they are released to the public. The language on the page could change, as could Face ID with a mask feature. It could even disappear entirely.

In fact, a similar feature appeared as early as February 2021 when the beta version of iOS14.5 was released, but by the time it was fully launched, the feature had disappeared.

Because of the epidemic, wearing masks has become a daily routine. But the iPhone's Face ID facial recognition will not work at this time.

Although Face ID can also recognize the basis of wearing a mask through machine learning, this process is uncontrollable, and changing a mask may require learning again. Apple has also launched a method to unlock the phone through Apple Watch, but for people who don't have a watch, this method will not work.

After upgrading to using Face ID with a mask, the device will remind you whether to use this function. After the user chooses to use it, they will be asked to enter Face ID again. This time it mainly records the user's eye features for identification when wearing a mask. In order to make the identification more accurate, you can also record the owner's daily glasses, but not sunglasses.

The subsequent usage process is the same as before, and the user can be identified whether wearing a mask or not.

Currently, it has been tested that both iPhone 12/13 series can be supported, and Apple has not officially mentioned the specific compatible models.

Using Face D while wearing a mask is a very practical feature. It makes the iPhone more convenient to use in the epidemic era. And it is completely different from the Apple Watch which can only be used to unlock the phone. Using Face D while wearing a mask has higher permissions, and you can use payment software while wearing a mask.

It should be noted that the current iOS15.4 beta version is only for developers to test apps, and may have problems such as instability, abnormal heat and power consumption. For general users, Apple users are advised to wait until the official version is launched before updating.