7 Situations When Face ID Is Replaced By Passcode In iPhone X Running iOS 11
Apple doesn’t like to take any chances and has coded iOS 11 to ask for your Passcode, to unlock the iPhone X, in seven different situations. You can find them detailed below. In fact, you can’t event set up Face ID in the first place, without having the iPhone Passcode feature enabled. Considering that you’ve already allowed your iPhone X to scan your face and that Face ID is active, here is when you have to input the Passcode.
7 Situations When iPhone X Asks For Passcode Instead Of Face ID
1. The device has just been turned on or rebooted, via force restart or automatically after an OTA software update.
2. You haven’t unlocked your iPhone X for more than 48 hours.
3. The Passcode hasn’t been used to unlock the device in the last six and a half days and Face ID hasn’t unlocked the device in the last 4 hours.
4. Your Apple smartphone has received a remote lock command, via iCloud.
5. When Face ID fails to recognize your face 5 times in a row.
6. If Face ID is temporary deactivated, with the help of the power off/Emergency SOS feature. This is achieved by pressing and holding one of the Volume buttons and the Side button simultaneously for two seconds.
7. When there is a significant change in your appearance like, shaving a full beard, your iPhone X will require the Passcode before it updates your face configuration and unlock your device.
Tip: Do you know that you can configure Face ID to unlock your iPhone when your eyes are closed and you don’t look at the device?
Weird, I meet none of these criteria and yet mine prompts me fairly regularly..
Hi Arty. Thanks for commenting. Can you distinguish a pattern? What do you think that could cause your iPhone to ask for Passcode, instead of Face ID? Are you wearing glasses?
P.S; Also check the Attention Awareness setting. If it’s enabled Face ID won’t work if you’re not looking at your iPhone when attempting to authenticate. More details available here: https://www.iphonetricks.org/3-iphone-x-face-id-attention-awareness-features/
You’ve missed one. Face ID also fails if your camera is covered with finger prints. Clean it and it will work!
Hi Abhilash. Thanks for commenting and sharing useful info.
You’re correct, however this article focuses on the situations when Passcode is required instead of Face ID due to iOS settings. The fact that Face ID fails to authenticate when the sensor is covered with finger prints fits into situation no. 5
“5. When Face ID fails to recognize your face 5 times in a row.”
Face ID can fail because of finger prints on sensor, new accessories that you wear or significantly change your appearance.
Thanks for contributing.