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jairjm

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2020
14
9
Mexico
I don't know how or why, but since today my iphone when i unlocked it with face ID with a mask on, it works. I have restarted it many times thinking that this is a bug, but not, it sitll works. For your information, i have an iphone 12, and ios 14.2 (ios 14.3 beta not installed)

Have you experienced the same or its an issue in mine? This is the update what we have been waiting for or only a buggy security system?
 

stormchasejg

macrumors 6502
Sep 22, 2014
347
247
East Preston, UK
I havent noticed this but I wish it would, mine suddenly has this habit of not prompting for the passcode after a failed attempt like its meant to instead just repeatedly failing and then requiring me to enter a passcode before face ID will work again which is really annoying, my old XS Max used to prompt nearly instantly after a failed attempt but since getting my 12PM it doesn't and just keeps failing to scan
 

doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,778
2,958
I don't know how or why, but since today my iphone when i unlocked it with face ID with a mask on, it works. I have restarted it many times thinking that this is a bug, but not, it sitll works. For your information, i have an iphone 12, and ios 14.2 (ios 14.3 beta not installed)

Have you experienced the same or its an issue in mine? This is the update what we have been waiting for or only a buggy security system?
Actually, some brands of my authentic KF94 (Korean version of N95) masks work with iP11 running 13.7 after many months of using those masks. However, even though it unlocks when I try to access my stored passwords it fails. Weird.
 

jairjm

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2020
14
9
Mexico
I havent noticed this but I wish it would, mine suddenly has this habit of not prompting for the passcode after a failed attempt like its meant to instead just repeatedly failing and then requiring me to enter a passcode before face ID will work again which is really annoying, my old XS Max used to prompt nearly instantly after a failed attempt but since getting my 12PM it doesn't and just keeps failing to scan
I promise that i have restarted my iphone many times, and re installed ios and it still unlocked it with a mask on, so idk what its hapenning. But like you, i hope this is an update
 

jairjm

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2020
14
9
Mexico
Actually, some brands of my authentic KF94 (Korean version of N95) masks work with iP11 running 13.7 after many months of using those masks. However, even though it unlocks when I try to access my stored passwords it fails. Weird.
Yeah, its strange. I alredy try it with locked notes and it works, but when i try to enter to icloud keychain it dowsnt works, so idk wth
 

doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,778
2,958
Yeah, its strange. I alredy try it with locked notes and it works, but when i try to enter to icloud keychain it dowsnt works, so idk wth
Almost seems like there's a different degree of stringency in unlocking.
 

doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,778
2,958
Yeah, im seeing that. But at least im happy i can uncloked my iphone with mask altough its a bug
I'm not so certain that it's a bug. It took a long time for the FaceID to recognize my face with certain masks so it probably thinks that my face has evolved, haha.
 
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Al Rukh

macrumors 65816
Nov 15, 2017
1,148
1,283
It’s not a bug for sure lol. Whenever your Face ID fails with your mask on, and you typing out your passcode to unlock your phone, the machine learning “learns” the contours. Over time, your phone can unlock with your mask on. My iPhone does this too, 90% unlock rate with cloth mask and 60-80% unlock rate on surgical masks.
 
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jairjm

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2020
14
9
Mexico
It’s not a bug for sure lol. Whenever your Face ID fails with your mask on, and you typing out your passcode to unlock your phone, the machine learning “learns” the contours. Over time, your phone can unlock with your mask on. My iPhone does this too, 90% unlock rate with cloth mask and 60-80% unlock rate on surgical masks.
Oh my god, i didnt even know this, and now im using a cloth mask. But why its this happening suddenly, this should happen gradually, no?
 

MiamiBeach

macrumors 6502
Sep 16, 2020
264
161
My XS sometimes recognizes me with a mask on while checking out at the grocery store. I’d say about a quarter of the time it unlocks for apple pay, the rest of the time I have to enter my passcode.
 

asleep

macrumors 68040
Sep 26, 2007
3,773
1,631
It’s not a bug for sure lol. Whenever your Face ID fails with your mask on, and you typing out your passcode to unlock your phone, the machine learning “learns” the contours. Over time, your phone can unlock with your mask on. My iPhone does this too, 90% unlock rate with cloth mask and 60-80% unlock rate on surgical masks.
Interesting.
 

BugeyeSTI

macrumors 604
Aug 19, 2017
7,244
9,089
Arizona/Illinois
A simple search would of brought up a bunch of threads on this topic....

 
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jairjm

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2020
14
9
Mexico
I don't know how or why, but since today my iphone when i unlocked it with face ID with a mask on, it works. I have restarted it many times thinking that this is a bug, but not, it sitll works. For your information, i have an iphone 12, and ios 14.2 (ios 14.3 beta not installed)

Have you experienced the same or its an issue in mine? This is the update what we have been waiting for or only a buggy security system?
A little update. I hace already updated to ios 14.3 and Face ID still works with masks. I think this is a little update or something like that
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,461
A little update. I hace already updated to ios 14.3 and Face ID still works with masks. I think this is a little update or something like that
As mentioned in various existing threads linked in an earlier post it's something that various people have been experiencing here and there for some time.
 

contacos

macrumors 603
Nov 11, 2020
5,488
20,887
Mexico City living in Berlin
My iPhone XS Max learned my Face with any mask over the summer. I didn't do anything special. I really miss it on my new iPhone 12 PM.

What was strange however, is that it would unlock the phone itself but wouldn't work on Apps that use FaceID to lock, like banking app or WhatsApp.

I wonder if I can keep trying to unlock with my face mask + passcode entry at home to teach it faster
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,697
52,579
In a van down by the river
I don't know how or why, but since today my iphone when i unlocked it with face ID with a mask on, it works. I have restarted it many times thinking that this is a bug, but not, it sitll works. For your information, i have an iphone 12, and ios 14.2 (ios 14.3 beta not installed)

Have you experienced the same or its an issue in mine? This is the update what we have been waiting for or only a buggy security system?
It probably has to do with mask material and thickness, as well as placement on your face. There has been no update that allows for mask scanning.
 

contacos

macrumors 603
Nov 11, 2020
5,488
20,887
Mexico City living in Berlin
It probably has to do with mask material and thickness, as well as placement on your face. There has been no update that allows for mask scanning.

This answer is more likely. For me it worked on any mask, no matter what fabric and pattern. It worked 100 % of the time unless I wore a beanie (it is getting cold outside!) at the same time. Probably not enough surface to face scan.

Whenever your Face ID fails with your mask on, and you typing out your passcode to unlock your phone, the machine learning “learns” the contours. Over time, your phone can unlock with your mask on. My iPhone does this too, 90% unlock rate with cloth mask and 60-80% unlock rate on surgical masks.
 

Al Rukh

macrumors 65816
Nov 15, 2017
1,148
1,283
Oh my god, i didnt even know this, and now im using a cloth mask. But why its this happening suddenly, this should happen gradually, no?
How sudden did it happened? For me, it took a month before I could unlock my phone through Face ID with my cloth mask on.

Perhaps your iPhone has already gotten used to your facial features with other masks on. And your current cloth mask just conforms to said features? In any case, I wouldn’t worry too much about it being a bug of any sorts if I were you.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,697
52,579
In a van down by the river
Those of you trying to get your phone to unlock with a mask on all the time should stop doing that, in my opinion. Whether you realize it or not, you are opening yourselves up for possible identity theft, account lock outs, and other nefarious activity that could leave you devastated in more ways than one, should someone steal your phone or gain access to it through convenience, and is somehow able to unlock the phone while wearing a face mask.

You are attempting to bypass security this way. If you have to leave your mask on, unlock your device with a strong passcode.
 

yticolev

macrumors 6502
Sep 27, 2015
298
274
Those of you trying to get your phone to unlock with a mask on all the time should stop doing that, in my opinion. Whether you realize it or not, you are opening yourselves up for possible identity theft, account lock outs, and other nefarious activity that could leave you devastated in more ways than one, should someone steal your phone or gain access to it through convenience, and is somehow able to unlock the phone while wearing a face mask.

You are attempting to bypass security this way. If you have to leave your mask on, unlock your device with a strong passcode.
You are suggesting to turn FaceID off then. What people are describing appears to be machine learning, not attempts to bypass security.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
35,697
52,579
In a van down by the river
You are suggesting to turn FaceID off then. What people are describing appears to be machine learning, not attempts to bypass security.
That is not what I am saying at all. I am not convinced it is machine learning with a mask on, much less in the way Apple intended.

Many people have even been using the alternate Face ID option as a means to bypass normal facial recognition, so that they can try and manipulate the security protocol with the wearing of the mask.

At the core, I am saying many people appear to be trying to manipulate the normal process, so that they can leave the mask on. What that manipulation occurs and the software registers a face as the rightful owner, when it can’t see the face, that is a security risk. As such, someone who gains possession of such a phone may be able to gain actual use of the phone with a mask on. That is a security door that many seem to be trying to open and I don’t think it wise. If others disagree, that is fine. I am not going to get into a big debate. I want people to stop and think about what they are doing because they are too lazy to perform proper security protocol with their devices.
 
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