How to Use Face ID with Mask

If you want to unlock your iPhone with a mask, you'll have to go into Settings to make it happen.

If you want to use Face ID with a mask, up until now you haven't been able to unless you own an Apple Watch. As of iOS 15.4 Beta, your iPhone allows you to use Face ID with a mask. Those who don't have the iOS Beta, will be able to use this feature once iOS 15.4 is publically available. Here's how to set up Face ID with a mask.

Related: How to Turn On Face ID for Apps on iPhone

How to Set Up Face ID with a Mask

If you don't set it up right after installing the update, you'll need to go into Settings to get it set up, but once you do, you'll be all set, so you can keep your face covered when you want to unlock your iPhone. When you set up Face ID with a mask on your iPhone, you don't actually have to be wearing a mask. You will, however, need to update to iOS 15.4 or later. Once you do, you'll just need to go into Settings and re-scan your face. To learn more about Face ID and other iPhone features, check out our Tip of the Day newsletter. Here's how to set up Face ID with a mask on your iPhone:

  1. Open Settings and tap Face ID & Passcode.

  2. Enter your device's passcode.

  3. Toggle on Use Face ID With a Mask.

  4. Tap Use Face ID With a Mask.

  5. Tap Get Started.

    Tap Get Started
  6. Follow your iPhone's prompt to move your head in a slow circle so it can scan your face.

  7. Once complete, follow this prompt again.

  8. When you get the notification that Face ID is complete, tap Done.

    Tap Done

Now you're all set up to use Face ID with a mask on your iPhone!

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Author Details

Amy Spitzfaden–Both's picture

Author Details

Amy Spitzfaden–Both

Amy Spitzfaden Both is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, an award-winning novelist, and an iPhone enthusiast. Over the past decade, her work in the publishing industry has included live coverage of industry events including the Yale Publishing Course and Magazine Innovation’s ACT 9 Experience, providing editing services for several start-up publishing houses, and acting as newsstand consultant for magazines such as The Old Farmer’s Almanac and The New York Review of Books. She graduated from M.I.U. with a Bachelor’s in Literature and Writing, and has gone on to publish two novels and two short stories. Her debut novel Untold won the 2014 Chelson Award for Fiction.
Writing everything from book reviews to skincare tips, Amy discovered a passion for bringing exciting and useful information to even the most casual researcher. The mix of usability and endless possibilities is what drew her to Apple products originally, and the more she learns, the more she loves.
Amy lives in New Hampshire with her husband and daughter. When she’s not writing or glued to her iPhone, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and creating her own tea blends.