Apple will make it easier to use Face ID to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask
Face ID was a great idea — until large swathes of the world were forced to wear face masks since the coronavirus pandemic rendered it largely useless.
Apple has apparently heard our pain.
Users are reporting a subtle new feature in the latest developer version of iOS 13.5 that will make it easier to unlock your iPhone without having to take off your protective face mask.
Videos shared on Twitter by Robert Petersen and Guilherme Rambo show that Apple devices with Face ID will jump to the backup passcode-entry screen if it detects a mask. That’s not only helpful if you’re unlocking your phone dozens of times a day — which we all do — but it’s also helping to keep people safe by not forcing users to take off their masks and potentially exposing themselves to the virus.
It’s not known if this feature will land in the final version of the software update. But one feature that will be included for sure is a new contact tracing API, built by Apple and Google in partnership, which lets national health authorities build apps that can help users privately and anonymously find out if they’ve been exposed to someone with coronavirus.
iOS 13.5 is expected to land in the coming weeks.
Face ID was a great idea — until large swathes of the world were forced to wear face masks since the coronavirus pandemic rendered it largely useless. Apple has apparently heard our pain. Users are reporting a subtle new feature in the latest developer version of iOS 13.5 that will…
Recent Posts
- Google bans advertisers from promoting deepfake porn services
- Nearly half of all Steam users are using Windows 11 — but why?
- Luminar, maker of lidar for autonomous driving, lays off 20 percent of its workforce
- Environmental journalism is under attack
- This sinister Omen gaming PC build just might keep you up at night
Archives
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011