Using Face ID while wearing a mask requires relatively recent hardware. Consult this list of iPhone models that support Face ID with a mask to see if yours is compatible.
Why does Face ID with a mask need a fast chip?
Regular Face ID works on any Face ID-equipped models from the iPhone X onward. Face ID with a mask, on the other hand, requires relatively new hardware. That’s because the system analyzes more complex facial features than regular Face ID and is, therefore, more computationally intensive. Read:How to use Face ID with a mask
According toApple’s support document, using Face ID while wearing a mask in iOS 15.4 and later can only be set up and used on the iPhone 12 and later. More precisely, the feature needs Apple’s A14 Bionic chip that provides significant improvements in terms of machine learning acceleration. Apple could’ve made using Face ID with a mask work on older chipsets, but that would’ve made scanning too slow.
These iPhone models support Face ID with face masks
So summing up, using Face ID while wearing a face-covering such as a face mask only works on the latest iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models:
In other words, iPhone 11 or older owners are out of luck: They won’t be able to use iOS 15.4’s enhanced Face ID to unlock their phone while wearing a face mask.
If that’s the situation you’re currently in, you may want to buy an Apple Watch. With an Apple Watch on your wrist, you can unlock your iPhone even while wearing a face mask or sunglasses. Read:How to unlock iPhone with Apple Watch
Why wont’ Face ID with a mask work on iPad Pro?
Unlocking your Apple tablet with Face ID while wearing a mask is currently unsupported across iPads equipped with Apple’s TrueDepth camera. At the time of writing, even the most recent fifth-generation iPad Pro, launched in 2021, wasn’t supported. “But how could that be,” you might be wondering, “the 2021 iPad Pro runs Apple’s M1 chip!” Well, there’s just one slight problem: the M1 is based on the A13, which is one chip generation below what Apple requires for Face ID with a mask.
We’ve tried to set up the feature on our iPad Pro, to no avail. Corroborating our finding, it isn’t listed inApple’s release notes for iPadOS 15.4. Of course, the iPhone maker could extend this feature to iPads in the future, if it wanted to. If and when the company does so, we’ll make sure to update this article to reflect new information.
