Unlocking your iPhone with Face ID is very useful. Especially if you’re wearing gloves or have dirty fingers. Your phone recognizes your face and unlocks it automatically. But then it suddenly happens: Face ID no longer works. I explain to you what to do.
Face ID doesn’t work: this is how you solve it
Is Face ID suddenly unavailable? Then there are a number of steps you can take to solve this. I’ll go through them with you below.
Check your iPhone for updates
If the facial recognition of your iPhone is no longer working, you can always be the first to check whether an update is available. Installing the new update may solve your problem. This is how you check for new updates:
- Open the ‘Settings’ app and go to ‘General’.
- Choose ‘Software update’.
- Here you can see if a new update is available and you can install it.
Check the Face ID settings
Afraid that your Face ID is broken? It is not necessary. Perhaps something in your settings has been accidentally changed. So always check your Face ID settings. This is how you do this:
- Open the ‘Settings’ app and go to ‘Face ID and passcode’.
- Enter your access code.
- Here you can see the settings you have set for Face ID.
- Is there something off that actually needs to be on? Then turn it back on here.
Check that the camera is not covered
Also important: the lens of your TrueDepth camera on the front should not be covered. Then Face ID cannot see your face properly.
It may be that your protective film is not in the right position or that it has a smudge or scratch on it. Clean the camera, make sure the protective film is in place, and see if Face ID works now.
Make sure you can be seen
If you want to use Face ID, your face must be clearly visible. The camera looks at your eyes, nose, and mouth. This will not work if one of these three is covered.
For example, if you wear sunglasses or a scarf that is too thick. Even in the dark, the camera doesn’t always recognize you. Then provide some extra light.
Restart your phone
Have you tried the steps above, but Face ID still doesn’t work? Then restart your iPhone. This is how you do this:
- Press and hold either the volume button or the side button at the same time.
- The ‘Turn off’ option appears.
- Drag the slider and wait 30 seconds for your iPhone to turn off.
- Then press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo to turn your phone back on.
Reset Face ID
Another option is to reset your Face ID. I tell you how to do this.
- Go to the ‘Settings’ app and select ‘Face ID and passcode’.
- Choose ‘Reset Face ID’.
- Select ‘Configure Face ID’.
- Now go through the steps to reset your Face ID.
Request service from Apple Support
All the steps above don’t work. Then you can contact Apple Support. There may be something broken that you can’t fix yourself. You can then request a repair so that your Face ID works again as soon as possible!
