Face ID is a great feature on the iPhone, and if you find that it is not functioning properly on your device, there are several measures you can take to resolve the issue and have it operating smoothly once more.
This guide is designed to help you when your Face ID is not working on your iPhone, We hope that these handy tips will get this feature working again on your handset. There are a number of different steps that you can follow to get Face ID working on your iPhone
1. Check the face ID Settings on your iPhone
The first thing you should do when trying to work out what is wrong with Face ID is to check the settings for the feature on your iPhone.
You can check the Face ID settings on your handset by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, you will then be asked to enter your passcode. Now check the settings and make sure that Face ID is turned on.
There are various options that you can use Face ID with, these include iPhone Unlock, iTunes & App Store, Wallet and Apple Pay, Password AutoFill, and also Other apps. Make sure that all of the features and apps that you want to use Face ID with are turned on. If this has not fixed the issue then head to step 2 below.
2. Check to see if anything is covering your front-facing camera
This sounds like an obvious one, but it is a good idea to make sure that something is not covering your front-facing camera on the iPhone. It is worthwhile giving the screen of your iPhone a quick clean to make sure there is nothing obscuring the camera on the front, something like a fingerprint or a smudge could cause an issue with the camera. If this did not work head to step 3 below.
3. Check to see if you have the latest iPhone software
Another thing you can try is to see if you have the latest iPhone software. You can do this from the settings app on your iPhone.
Go to Settings > General > Software update and check to see if there is a software update available for your handset. If there is then it is recommended that you install this update on your device. Once this is done and your handset has restarted you can try and see if this has resolved the issue with Face ID. If this did not work or if a software update was not available head to step 4 below.
4. Restart your iPhone
Another way that you can try to get Face ID working again is to restart your iPhone, this may help to get Face ID up and running again.
If you have the iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 13, or iPhone 13, hold the volume down button and the power button until the turn-off slider appears, you can now turn the handset off and restart it.
For the iPhone 6, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and the 2nd and 3rd Gen iPhone SE, hold the power button on the side until the power off slider appears.
On the iPhone SE 1st generation, the iPhone 5 or earlier iPhones, hold the power button on the top until the power off slider appears. If this does not work and your Face ID is still not working on your iPhone head to step 5.
5. Reset Face ID and set it up again
If none of the above steps have worked then you can try resettings Face ID on your iPhone. To do this go to Settings. Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and then select Reset Face ID. Your Face ID is now reset and you will need to set it up again on your device.
In the event that none of the previously mentioned suggestions prove effective in resolving the issue with your iPhone’s Face ID, it is possible that there may be an underlying hardware problem with your device. In such cases, it would be a prudent decision to consider taking your iPhone to an Apple Store or consulting with another qualified repair professional to examine and diagnose the problem. By doing so, you can determine whether the issue can be fixed and potentially restore the functionality of your device’s Face ID feature.
We hope that you find this guide on how to get Face ID working again when it is not working on your iPhone useful. This guide was written using iOS 16.16 which is the current version of Apple’s iOS at the time of writing the article. You can find out more tips about how to resolve issues with face ID over at Apple’s website.
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