Ok I just did a short little video. I made it myself, no one else here right now. I shot it using my 6S by holding that in my left hand. It’s not very good because I’m trying to guess position the 6S and it’s a little shaky, but it pretty clearly shows that my face is only about at the edge of the glass topped table. It was a little hard to do the tap to wake without moving my left hand which was holding the 6S and also because the X is on a little cloth pouch and that is sitting on top of a soft notebook, but I think it shows good enough for most people.
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iPhone X Decision day iPhone X
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Yeah I don’t have Apple Pay activated but it definitely doesnt work on my passwords. I actually didn’t even know that it could do that.
Again, I own the phone and have tried it many times, it just shakes the lock symbol at me and won't do it. Even doing that trick above.
Maybe reset faceID? It works for me sorta. I do have to be kind of over the phone or slightly lift it at an angle but it does unlock when flat or flat'ish. I did setup faceID as described where I held it at waste level and looked down at it when setting it up so maybe that made the difference.
Yep, same here. FaceID didn't take over for touchID like many said it would. LOL.
I think you have a defective phone. Mine unlocks banking apps (I have 2 of them installed) and website passwords..
Thank you for the video, but that isn't even close to desk height!!!! You are giving the phone way more viewing angle when it's way lower than a desk.
Mine works when it's much lower like that. But still at a desk you are sitting, you have to raise your phone up.
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I did to try his link that is a trick to help it work. Didn't help.
Well I don't know then. For me it works as his video shows and faceID unlocks both my banking apps and Safari website passwords amongst other things.
I am starting to think you have a defective phone. Maybe something in your faceID is wonky.
Sadly, it doesn't. One bank works but my other one no longer does. Some stuff that worked before with touchID doesn't work with faceID.
I have Ally Bank and Capital One and they both unlock with faceID every time and instantly. On the Ally App it's goofy as you have 3 options at login screen and you have to select which to use. 1. username and password, 2. PIN, 3. faceID.
As soon as I tap faceID I am in almost instantly.
Like I said, if my phone is much lower like a coffee table like his was, it works fine. But on a desk, it does not as a desk is normally around elbow height when sitting. It requires the phone to be lifted and titled towards you. Just like anything that views out as a camera, the more you back up from the subject, the wider the view is the more chance it will work.
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Interesting, I tried both just now and both banks worked. Wonder if by resetting face ID that fixed it for the APPs. Hmm.
Ah well I can't dispute that. Mine is generally unlocked when flat while on a lower leveled coffee table like his video shows. I'll have to try it on an office type desk and see but I suppose that makes sense that it would have more difficulty doing so when the phone is at a higher level.
Awesome!
My original post said that mine works when flat on the table in front of my sofa to which you replied something along the lines of “prove it. It’s a proven fact that FaceID does not work with the phone flat”. But for what it’s worth, mine also works similarly when on the dining room table (flat) and as before I lean over a little to reach the phone. It won’t work on the other side of the table or anything like that.
Maybe I’ll do another video showing it working on the dining room table.
Nope, that is not what you said. I posted that I have to pick it up off the desk to make it work, and you told me WRONG. Here is a screenshot to remind you. Next time you need to read more carefully, as yours isn't a desk and that is what I was talking about.
I found this photo on the net somewhere I don’t remember where. Maybe it’s from the keynote. Anyway this shows ca a 45 degree angle and my phone will faceID unlock and around that angle even while sitting flat like in the above screenshot.
Anyway, here’s from a “desk”. You can see the corner of my laptop also. The top of the desk is 28” high. Again I made this myself holding my 6S in my left hand so it’s not the best but I think it shows that I’m not leaning way over the phone. My face is about at the edge of the desk or a tiny bit past it. I’m sitting basically upright. My phone will faceID unlock at ca a 45 degree angle and sitting flat on a desk/table, whatever. It’s not quite as fast when holding the phone, but it works none the less.
Btw, in my video above I am looking at the phone of course.
Now the statement that I’m quoting here is obviously wrong (Because it is a fact it can not work while laying flat on a desk with you unlocking it without you picking it up..... <cut> .. The phone doesn't work at an angle either,it has to be facing you directly most of the time except maybe a ever so slight angle.)
Again, like most have said, it doesn't work for them. Seems your desk is still much lower than a normal desk. Here is me trying to do it from my desk. Sorry for the angle, hard to hold the phone right when recording while doing this.
Yeah I understand about holding a phone while reading. 
My desk appears to be the same height as yours, around 29 inches high. I sit similarly to you, my chair height adjusted so my arms are bent at ca 90 degrees at the elbows when typing on my laptop.
It works for some and doesn’t work for others.
The reasons I posted was to refute the statement:
“
Prove it. Because it is a fact it can not work while laying flat on a desk with you unlocking it without you picking it up. Post up a video of someone showing you doing it. The phone doesn't work at an angle either,it has to be facing you directly most of the time except maybe a ever so slight angle.
“
Which simply isn’t true. That is a broad statement and is stated as definitive fact which, in fact, it is not.
It doesn’t work for you (perhaps try resetting FaceID as described earlier) or maybe it just won’t ever work for you because of reasons unknown. But it does work for me and it does work for others.
FaceID has been pretty flawless for me. Works better (for me) than TouchID did on my 7 Plus and works better for me than TouchID does on my 6S.
Peace.
My desk appears to be the same height as yours, around 29 inches high. I sit similarly to you, my chair height adjusted so my arms are bent at ca 90 degrees at the elbows when typing on my laptop.
It works for some and doesn’t work for others.
The reasons I posted was to refute the statement:
“
Prove it. Because it is a fact it can not work while laying flat on a desk with you unlocking it without you picking it up. Post up a video of someone showing you doing it. The phone doesn't work at an angle either,it has to be facing you directly most of the time except maybe a ever so slight angle.
“
Which simply isn’t true. That is a broad statement and is stated as definitive fact which, in fact, it is not.
It doesn’t work for you (perhaps try resetting FaceID as described earlier) or maybe it just won’t ever work for you because of reasons unknown. But it does work for me and it does work for others.
FaceID has been pretty flawless for me. Works better (for me) than TouchID did on my 7 Plus and works better for me than TouchID does on my 6S.
Peace.