Old mum's iPhone suddenly unavailable and asks for passcode to enable Face ID

[pullman]

In a bit of a pickle here...

A little while ago I spoke with my 86-year-old mum via FaceTime (non-video) and all was well with her iPhone 13. Ten minutes later she calls me in a panic. The phone suddenly asks for a 6-digit passcode "to enable FaceID".

The code I am certain is right does not work. After a few attempts the "iPhone is unavailable, try again in x minutes" timer appears.

She updated to the latest iOS 18.1.x version either yesterday or this morning. Could this bizarre behaviour have something to do with that?

She didn't do anything strange on the phone to cause the passcode screen to appear. The phone is set up to default to Face ID and it has worked flawlessly since she got the phone.

I know I may have to reset and wipe it remotely. There is an iCloud backup of course, but we haven't activated iCloud Photos so I'm afraid she'll lose all her images and videos.

I tried activating iCloud Photos from her Mac (a Mini running High Sierra), but activating it in Sys Prefs–iCloud and in iPhoto doesn't force the phone to upload the photos to iCloud.com.

Is there any way to open the phone remotely via iCloud using the Apple ID or in iTunes when connected via cable to the Mac Mini?

Thanks very much in advance for your help
Philip

 

[FreakinEurekan]

If iCloud Photos is not activated on the phone, then photos are backed up to iCloud Backup. You shouldn’t lose more than a day. You can use iCloud to erase the phone, then on setup kick off iCloud restore. Not knowing the current passcode may mean iCloud Keychain needs to be reset, but then you can re-link her Mac which will merge its local keychain (which should be identical to iCloud Keychain) so you probably won’t lose much if anything.

 

[pullman]

Thank you very much for this reassuring information. I will try the erase and restore route. Now I just need to find a way to communicate with her (we're in different countries) while the phone is being restored.

cheers
philip

If iCloud Photos is not activated on the phone, then photos are backed up to iCloud Backup. You shouldn’t lose more than a day. You can use iCloud to erase the phone, then on setup kick off iCloud restore. Not knowing the current passcode may mean iCloud Keychain needs to be reset, but then you can re-link her Mac which will merge its local keychain (which should be identical to iCloud Keychain) so you probably won’t lose much if anything.

 

[pullman]

One thing I noticed on my work phone was that it, too, asked for a passcode today to activate Face ID. The phone tried to install iOS 18.1.1 automatically but that failed. This, then, caused its to require a passcode. I'm sure Apple has it's reasons for this, but it's still frustrating.

 

[iStorm]

I'm a bit confused. How long has your mum been using this iPhone?

I ask because it's quite normal for the iPhone to ask for the passcode to enable Face ID. It will show up every time after a reboot/restart (or after updates are installed). It will also ask for it about once a week. It's also required if you go into the shutdown screen and cancel out of it. These are just a few examples. There are other things that will trigger requiring the passcode as well (the full list can be seen here). You can't simply just use Face ID 100% of the time.

So, it should just be the passcode she has been using all along. Or is this a fairly new phone and this is the first time she's seeing that screen and forgot the passcode that was used when setting it up?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

One thing I noticed on my work phone was that it, too, asked for a passcode today to activate Face ID. The phone tried to install iOS 18.1.1 automatically but that failed. This, then, caused its to require a passcode. I'm sure Apple has it's reasons for this, but it's still frustrating.

As @iStorm said, iOS will require the passcode instead of Face ID in a variety of circumstances including after restart, or if you simply haven't had to enter your passcode for 6-1/2 days. It's always important to know your passcode!

 

[pullman]

We bought this phone for her in June to replace an old iPhone SE (first version), which only had a 4-digit code. I'm normally very diligent in noting down all relevant information about her phone, Apple ID, computer, network etc as I function as the family's IT Department. But here for some inexplicable reason the code I had noted didn't work. And that is very, very odd because I am quite certain it was the right one. I can't explain it better than that.

After 3 hours on the phone this morning and another 1,5h this evening the phone is now restored from the iCloud backup that luckily was generated two days ago. And it seems even all photos were included which is fantastic.

I'm a bit confused. How long has your mum been using this iPhone?

I ask because it's quite normal for the iPhone to ask for the passcode to enable Face ID. It will show up every time after a reboot/restart (or after updates are installed). It will also ask for it about once a week. It's also required if you go into the shutdown screen and cancel out of it. These are just a few examples. There are other things that will trigger requiring the passcode as well (the full list can be seen here). You can't simply just use Face ID 100% of the time.

So, it should just be the passcode she has been using all along. Or is this a fairly new phone and this is the first time she's seeing that screen and forgot the passcode that was used when setting it up?

 

[pullman]

It most definitely is important to remember the passcode, I fully agree. As odd as it seems I don't think she's restarted her phone since she got it. And the first update she carried out was 18.1.1 the day before yesterday which triggered the passcode. The 6,5-day limit is, as I read the support doc, connected with not having had a successful biometric unlock in 4 hours. So either she uses her phone at least every four hours (which I can believe because she basically doesn't sleep at night...another difficulty) or she's remembered the code until yesterday (and I noted it down wrongly when we set it).

As @iStorm said, iOS will require the passcode instead of Face ID in a variety of circumstances including after restart, or if you simply haven't had to enter your passcode for 6-1/2 days. It's always important to know your passcode!

 

[Paddle1]

It most definitely is important to remember the passcode, I fully agree. As odd as it seems I don't think she's restarted her phone since she got it. And the first update she carried out was 18.1.1 the day before yesterday which triggered the passcode. The 6,5-day limit is, as I read the support doc, connected with not having had a successful biometric unlock in 4 hours. So either she uses her phone at least every four hours (which I can believe because she basically doesn't sleep at night...another difficulty) or she's remembered the code until yesterday (and I noted it down wrongly when we set it).

Strange, normally you need to enter the passcode to install updates.

 

[NoBoMac]

The 6,5-day limit is, as I read the support doc, connected with not having had a successful biometric unlock in 4 hours.

This one has always been misdocumented/understood imo in the link provided.

How it should read is the "and" should be an "or". No passcode entered in 6.5 days or have not unlocked the device in 4 hours via biometrics. Everything I've experienced seems to line up like that.

Seem to recall reading someplace that 6.5 days is a hard limit as Apple wants people to enter their passcode so that they don't forget it. With "and", in theory, might not ever need to enter a passcode unless rebooting.

(Edit: or the "and" should be "and when")

 

[FreakinEurekan]

It most definitely is important to remember the passcode, I fully agree. As odd as it seems I don't think she's restarted her phone since she got it. And the first update she carried out was 18.1.1 the day before yesterday which triggered the passcode. The 6,5-day limit is, as I read the support doc, connected with not having had a successful biometric unlock in 4 hours. So either she uses her phone at least every four hours (which I can believe because she basically doesn't sleep at night...another difficulty) or she's remembered the code until yesterday (and I noted it down wrongly when we set it).

Updating does restart the phone, so certainly makes sense that it would need the code then. You can, by the way, still use a 4-digit code if that works better for her. My own phone and my mom’s (who is a “young chick” of only 83 😉) both use 4-digit. There’s a setting for “Face ID and Passcodes” to allow it.

 

[pullman]

Ah I see. I read it as a lawyer would but it makes sense from a security perspective that it should be read as alternatives. From a clarity-of-drafting point of view Apple ought simply to have listed the second half as its own item in the list.

This one has always been misdocumented/understood imo in the link provided.

How it should read is the "and" should be an "or". No passcode entered in 6.5 days or have not unlocked the device in 4 hours via biometrics. Everything I've experienced seems to line up like that.

Seem to recall reading someplace that 6.5 days is a hard limit as Apple wants people to enter their passcode so that they don't forget it. With "and", in theory, might not ever need to enter a passcode unless rebooting.

(Edit: or the "and" should be "and when")

 

[pullman]

Thank you, this is something I had forgotten, the 4-digit code. I'll see if I can get her to agree to change it to that after yesterday's ordeal.

It's at least very nice we get to have them around playing with Apple gear as octogenarians. I even got mum to enter a sudo command in Terminal yesterday while watching her screen via Skype screen sharing. That was a first for her I think.

Updating does restart the phone, so certainly makes sense that it would need the code then. You can, by the way, still use a 4-digit code if that works better for her. My own phone and my mom’s (who is a “young chick” of only 83 😉) both use 4-digit. There’s a setting for “Face ID and Passcodes” to allow it.