FaceID missing 80% of the time

[DiveKitty]

I haven’t had any issue with any of my sunglasses, or low scrip glasses (mostly for eye strain). Turn off attention required.

What are you doing when it fails? You should be punching in your passcode so it learns your face/small changes like this.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Mine works 99.9% of the time and it does not matter if wearing by reading glass or even Costa sunglasses, no difference.

Could be the OP has a defective X.

 

[Absrnd]

I have prescription auto darkening glasses, and I was afraid it might not work, because they react to UV lighting, turning dark,
but even when they are dark they work perfectly

Like they said, turn of attention, or even retry to scan your face with the glasses.

 

[SparklyApple]

I'm getting a refund on my iPhone X, sending it back tomorrow. I've been using it all weekend and FaceID is just too irritating when it doesn't work, which is about 40% of the time.

I love the phone, I love FaceID when it works, but each time it doesn't work, I wonder whether I should try repositioning it or myself, stand up, put my glasses on, take my glasses off, and then still punch the code in after 30 seconds, or should I just forget it and just punch the code in.

That's irritating because then I think my old 5S would have opened instantly, and maybe I should have just got an 8.

So I'm sending it back.

IMHO A bit like touchID in the early stages it's a year or two away from being really great for me. But in this case it slows opening, whereas touchID even if it didn't work never made things worse. The work around is to set autolock to a long time, but that is not very secure.

I think it's a prescription glasses problem because it often doesn't work when I take my glasses off. I don't think this will affect everybody because I tried the phone with someone else with weak reading glasses and it worked 100% instantly for her in all situations.

Wondering if any other short-sighted people having this problem.

Similar issues here — which is why mine went back. Shortsighted & astigmatic here, with a fairly high prescription (-13 and -10 when cyl & sph combined), and even with that prescription I still have to hold the phone about 5” from my eyes to read anything on the screen... which is too close for Face ID. Hopefully they’ll find a way to fix it for close-up users.

 

[macgabe]

Earlier I wrote I was sending my phone back because of the FaceID issue… Well, I changed my mind and cancelled the pickup! The phone was just too good. And FaceID doesn't seem to be so much of a problem now. It now almost always works during the day, sometimes works when lying down. Still rarely works at night (no glasses) but I have set autolock to 3 mins so it doesn't continually log out when I'm reading a long article.

Tip: I have found that in normal conditions (day, standing, with glasses) if it doesn't initially unlock, it's worth clicking the off button on the side (top right) a couple of times which resets the faceID and it'll then often work. Much better than moving the phone around trying to find a good position, because once it has not-recognised you it seems to have difficulty recognising you on the same session.

Good luck to all other glasses wearers out there!

 

[DNichter]

No issues with mine, I set it up without my glasses, one head on and then one at an angle with me looking down. I turned off require attention so that I didn't need to have my eyes open. The only time it fails for me is if I have the phone too close to my face.

 

[macgabe]

I’ve found that FaceID doesn’t work when I’m not wearing my glasses. Thinking about resetting it when not wearing glasses and see if that helps. Also the angles it is able to read at are pretty limited when the phone is on my desk.

I set it with every combination : 1 with glasses 1 without, both with, and both without, didn't seem to make much difference. Glasses nearly always unlocks. Without glasses and holding close rarely if ever works.
[doublepost=1511356033][/doublepost]

Sorry about this as I haven't got my iPhone X yet, but isn't the whole point about FaceID its ability to learn your features, each time it fails? Like, you look at the device, if FaceID fails you enter your access code and then FaceID will integrate what it did not recognise so as not to make a mistake the following time.

Once I receive my unit I'll be training it to recognise me with and without glasses (I wear progressive glasses as well as a set of computer/screen specific glasses). I'm assuming FaceID will learn the differences over time, and improve, the same way it happened with TouchID back in its early days.

Wish we knew how to train the algo. In the instructions it says it works best when at arm's length so I think the main problem is just holding the phone really close to your face. I read without glasses about 6 - 12 inches from my face so I think it just can't handle that.
[doublepost=1511356462][/doublepost]

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with Face ID.

I wear prescription glasses for near-sightedness all the time, and Face ID works about 99% for me. Have you tried resetting and doing the Face ID setup again? Also, if it does fail, and you enter your passcode right away, Face ID is supposed to update its scan of your face.

That's interesting - I wasn't sure if it would disregard that new face info or not, and that was frustrating me. It does seem to be working better now. So maybe it is learning…

 

[NickYanakiev]

One of the most unexpected things after a week with the phone: Face ID works every time! It now recognizes me from the very first attempt and lets me unlock almost immediately.

This has consistently been the case in bright light and early in the morning in pretty much complete darkness!

 

[macgabe]

Does anyone know the fastest way to get TouchID to try a second attempt? As in, it’s looking at you and shakes the lock, indicating a failed unlock. I have found continuing to stare at the phone won’t do anything, so I usually relock and unlock the screen. Anyone know a faster way?

Yes I agree this is the best, just hit the side button twice if it doesn't immediately unlock to try again. Often then it will unlock.
[doublepost=1511356801][/doublepost]

Did you try Face ID with the attention setting turned off? It helps so it's not focusing on your eyes.

I have done that but, don't know why, doesn't seem to make any difference.
[doublepost=1511357044][/doublepost]

Similar issues here — which is why mine went back. Shortsighted & astigmatic here, with a fairly high prescription (-13 and -10 when cyl & sph combined), and even with that prescription I still have to hold the phone about 5” from my eyes to read anything on the screen... which is too close for Face ID. Hopefully they’ll find a way to fix it for close-up users.

Yup I'm also minus 8 or 9 diopters with myopia and astigmatism combined. As I wrote earlier though, I did change my mind and kept the phone. It does seem to be getting better, though still no improvement on very close reading.

 

[SparklyApple]

Yes I agree this is the best, just hit the side button twice if it doesn't immediately unlock to try again. Often then it will unlock.
[doublepost=1511356801][/doublepost]
I have done that but, don't know why, doesn't seem to make any difference.
[doublepost=1511357044][/doublepost]
Yup I'm also minus 8 or 9 diopters with myopia and astigmatism combined. As I wrote earlier though, I did change my mind and kept the phone. It does seem to be getting better, though still no improvement on very close reading.

Glad that it’s improving for you when using at a more “normal” distance. Could you post if it ever improves close-up too? If they can fix that I’ll go buy one again.

 

[macgabe]

Glad that it’s improving for you when using at a more “normal” distance. Could you post if it ever improves close-up too? If they can fix that I’ll go buy one again.

Will do!

 

[ericgtr12]

Can someone give tips on optimal setup for faceid? It's extremely frustrating how often faceid is failing to recognize me. i've redone setup like 10 times already.

the biggest problem seems to be it only works in the conditions i did the original setup. These are some of the things that make it start missing nearly all of the time:

1. Putting on glasses
2. Laying down
3. Different lighting conditions (it has yet to work in any kind of dim light darkness at all)

im really starting to wonder how many real world scenarios Apple tested in

i am not seeing similar experience on the internet.....what am i doing wrong?

They clearly didn't test under the following scenarios either:

• Sucking on a lemon
• Bearing down to eek one out the morning after a Home Town Buffet free for all
  
• Staring into the sun

Come on Apple, get it together!

 

[macsrcool1234]

They clearly didn't test under the following scenarios either:

• Sucking on a lemon
• Bearing down to eek one out the morning after a Home Town Buffet free for all
  
• Staring into the sun

Come on Apple, get it together!

That awkward moment when you try to be funny and realize you aren't....

 

[RobinInOR]

They clearly didn't test under the following scenarios either:

• Sucking on a lemon

Couldn’t figure out yesterday why FaceID wasn’t working, didn’t even think that it was because of the candy bar I was eating. Though when I forced it again, still with food in face, it worked! Great, now I’ve trained it to recognize me with junk food.

 

[MacKai]

Mine has worked all the time. I find that it is a little faster in the dark or dim lighting.

 

[ericgtr12]

That awkward moment when you try to be funny and realize you aren't....

Really? I thought it would've been this...

i am not seeing similar experience on the internet.....what am i doing wrong?

 

[KPOM]

Can someone give tips on optimal setup for faceid? It's extremely frustrating how often faceid is failing to recognize me. i've redone setup like 10 times already.

the biggest problem seems to be it only works in the conditions i did the original setup. These are some of the things that make it start missing nearly all of the time:

1. Putting on glasses
2. Laying down
3. Different lighting conditions (it has yet to work in any kind of dim light darkness at all)

im really starting to wonder how many real world scenarios Apple tested in

i am not seeing similar experience on the internet.....what am i doing wrong?

Take your glasses off when setting it up. I found that it got more accurate when I did that.

Also, perhaps you are holding the phone too close to your face. I do that when I have my glasses off.

Overall I’ve found FaceID to be as accurate as TouchID.
[doublepost=1511380584][/doublepost]

Only thing that’s been annoying for me is having to swipe up after successful FaceID unlock.

You can swipe up while it is registering your face.

 

[macsrcool1234]

Really? I thought it would've been this...

you were wrong.

 

[Black Tiger]

From what I gather, the best way to improve Face ID is for the user to allow it to fail and then enter the passcode to verify that it is the user. This seems similar to the extended setup in Touch ID. It then begins to augment the facial scans and over time will become more reliable from greater variations in angle and appearance. Although it will never work when held too close given that it is a dot projector. If you delete your Face ID scan and redo it, you will similarly lose all of the machine learning. Best to put up with entering the passcode for the first while and allow it to “learn.” What’s strange is that Apple does not include a lengthier setup session ala Touch ID to try and capture more variations in angles. I would think that a longer setup process would stave off these spurious failed scans later on and reduce the perception that Face ID is less reliable than Touch ID.

 

[LarryJoe33]

Mine works 100% of the time when I use it correctly. That is, stare at it and swipe. Sometimes I think I try to swipe while looking away or talking to someone else and of course this fails. I am considering shutting off attention to detail, but for now, I want to try and live with it as designed.

 

[Howyalikdemapls]

• when it fails to unlock, enter your passcode instead of sleeping the phone and trying again.. my understanding is that it will learn as you go along and the passcode is what's telling it that you're there and to remember the failed ID as being one that should be correct..

I’ve read that, but I don’t believe it. I can hold my phone perfectly still, have it fail, type in my passcode, and then try FaceID again and it will fail again despite just typing in my passcode in that exact same position. I’ve repeated this process several times in a row with no luck. If it truly remembers from the last time I typed in my passcode then you’d think it would start to work under the same circumstances.

 

[KONVICTED]

Mine works almost all the time. Actually I find it more easy than Touch-ID. You don't need to rest finger just pick up the phone and tap on screen and it unlocks immediately.

 

[tromboneaholic]

Mine works almost all the time. Actually I find it more easy than Touch-ID. You don't need to rest finger just pick up the phone and tap on screen and it unlocks immediately.

This.

FaceID works more reliably than TouchID.

I am using both side by side since November 3. FaceID on my iPhone and TouchID on the iPad.

Even though I use the iPad less often, TouchID has failed more often than FaceID. Even when FaceID “failed” it was because I wasn’t looking at the phone, so it actually worked...

On my iPad, TouchID has become annoying now that I’m spoiled by how truly effortless FaceID is.

It’s not just logging in, but authentication once you’re already using the device is seemless with FaceID. With TouchID I have to shift how I’m holding the iPad any time I need to put my finger on the reader.

 

[01silver4]

Mine is flawless works every time, it’s just automatic to pick my phone up look at it unlocks and I am on my way. To tell you the truth I don’t miss having the home button at all.

 

[CTHarrryH]

I think it has failed maybe once since I got my X - love it much better than touch id