Apple's upcoming FaceID update will let you unlock your iPhone with your mask on

Apple has been consistently innovating to offer the best user experience to its legions of admirers. While the pandemic is refusing to abate, face masks seem to be a common fixture for a long time to come.

With a host of smartphone companies offering Face ID, users have been complaining about the inconvenience caused by masks while unlocking their smartphones.

Apple users worldwide can heave a sigh of relief as they may no longer need to remove their face masks to unlock their smartphones. iOS 15.4 beta released to developers recently showed a new security feature in the FaceID option. The California based tech giant is currently working on a new method to read faces to unlock phones.


The latest feature was spotted by YouTube creator Brandon Butch who shared a snapshot of it on Twitter. The update appears under Settings, Face ID & Passcode. The new feature lets users select the option of reading the portion of their face that appears above the mask for recognition.
Based on the image shared by Butch, the application offers two options to users - Use Face ID With a Mask and Don't Use Face ID With a Mask. Butch also shared a snapshot of the new toggle in iOS 15.4 which can be located under Settings > Face ID > Use Face ID with a Mask.

The iOS 15.4 beta, also comes with a warning on the Face ID setting page saying, "Face ID is most accurate when it's set up for full-face recognition only." The system reportedly does not require users to wear a mask during setup.

According to Techradar.com, the system will essentially identify features of the user's eyes and the area around them to identify, match, and unlock the phone. At present, Apple has a two-factor authentication system introduced in iOS 14.5 for those with masks to unlock their phones. The present system automatically unlocks iPhone if the user is also wearing an Apple Watch for authentication.

All beta software is subject to change as iOS developer betas go through several rounds of updates before it is made available to the public. While the suggested updates may see the light of the day, there is also a possibility that this may seem different or may not even feature at all.