Face ID on iPhone and iPad: How to enable and use the security feature on Apple devices

Apple’s Face ID is a security feature that's available on modern iPhone and iPad models, allowing users to tap into the power of AI-boosted facial-recognition technology. In addition to being one of the most convenient authentication systems available on Apple devices so far, it's pretty easy to set up. You can use Face ID to unlock your device, make sensitive transactions, download apps, log into apps, turn your phone on or off, and much more.

While long passcodes can definitely be harder to guess, it’s certainly not safe to type out a password while authenticating Apple Pay purchases in public. Users are better off using facial recognition in such scenarios where 'peepers' can steal a look at their sensitive information. While many may be concerned about how secure this technology is, Apple is committed to developing and improving facial recognition algorithms and their detection capabilities so as to tackle any security and privacy concerns it may bring at present and in the future.

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Here’s how you can enable Face ID on your iPhone or iPad

Before we look at the main steps, it must be noted that the aforementioned feature isn't available on all iPhone and iPad models. At the time of writing this article, it's supported in Apple smartphones newer than the iPhone X and iPad Pro models that were released on and after November 7, 2018. The iPad Air and standard iPad users have the Touch ID or passcode options instead.

Follow these steps to set up Face ID on your device:

1. Go to Settings and tap on Face ID & Passcode.
2. When asked, enter your passcode. If you haven’t set a passcode yet, you’ll need to create one for an alternate login option.
3. Next, tap on Set Up Face ID, hold your iPhone/iPad in a portrait fashion, and position your face in front of the screen. Tap on Get Started.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions properly to have the device scan your face accurately. Gently move your head to complete the circle and if you are unable to do so due to a disability, tap on Accessibility Options.
5. Once the scan is done, tap on Continue. After this step, you’ll have to scan your face a second time to complete the process.
6. Finally, click on Done.

You can now choose the applications or functionalities that can be authenticated using facial recognition from Settings > Face ID & Passcode.

To use facial recognition to unlock your phone or authenticate a transaction, simply glance at your phone when prompted. On the iPad Pro, iPhone 12, and newer devices, you can scan your face in landscape or portrait mode.

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The facial recognition technology on iPhones and iPads is driven by advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, the TrueDepth camera system, and the neural engines that are present within Apple Bionic chips.

All of the facial data that's collected from users is encrypted and protected from potential intruders at all costs. If the feature is unable to detect your face or catches a close match, it will ask the user to enter their passcode as a security measure.

According to Apple, there’s only a “less than 1 in 1,000,000 with a single enrolled appearance whether or not you're wearing a mask” chance that a random person who isn't the actual user can unlock a protected device using Face ID.