iOS 15.4 beta adds Face ID use with a mask for iPhone 12 and newer, without needing Apple Watch authentication, by recognizing “unique features around the eye”
The iOS 15.4 beta that was introduced today added a new feature designed to allow Face ID to be used with a mask and without an Apple Watch for authentication.
MacRumors Juli Clover
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had already adjusted Face ID for masks in iOS 13.5, then made mask-era unlocking depend on a paired Apple Watch in the iOS 14.5 beta. The new beta removes that wearable prerequisite for supported iPhones by using facial characteristics around the eyes.
That makes the change more than a convenience update: Apple is moving mask-compatible authentication from a cross-device workaround into the phone’s own biometric workflow. The related coverage shows the feature later reached the public iOS 15.4 release.
First-order effects
- iPhone 12-and-newer users in the iOS 15.4 beta can authenticate while masked without owning or wearing an Apple Watch.
- Apple Watch owners no longer need the watch-based unlock path for this use case on eligible iPhones, reducing a friction point in Face ID access.
Second-order effects
- Apple’s mask-unlock experience becomes available to a wider portion of recent-iPhone owners than the Apple Watch-gated approach introduced with iOS 14.5.
- The Apple Watch loses one practical role in iPhone authentication, while Apple concentrates the underlying recognition work in the iPhone’s Face ID system.
Third-order effects
- If Apple continues adapting Face ID to constrained real-world conditions, biometric access will rely less on companion-device fallbacks and more on device-resident machine perception.
- The pattern points toward authentication features being differentiated by the capabilities of newer handset hardware, rather than delivered uniformly across the installed base.
The trend: Apple is shifting mask-era authentication from wearable-assisted access toward on-device biometric recognition on newer iPhones.
Related: Machine-perception sensor · Proof of personhood · Apple Watch · iOS 14.5 beta adds Apple Watch mask unlock · iOS 15.4 rolls out mask Face ID
Related Coverage
- iOS 15.4 reveals new ‘Trade-In Tool’ for scanning cosmetic details with your iPhone camera 9to5Mac · Filipe Espósito
- iOS 15.4 beta lets users add notes to their iCloud Keychain passwords 9to5Mac · Filipe Espósito
- Apple might let you use Face ID with a mask in the next iOS update The Verge · Mitchell Clark
- View article Appleosophy
- Everything New in iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4: Face ID With a Mask, Emojis, Apple Card Widget, Universal Control and More MacRumors · Juli Clover
- Here's everything new in iOS 15.4 beta 1: New emoji, Keychain updates, and more XDA Developers · Mahmoud Itani
- View article Redmond Pie
- View article iDownloadBlog.com
- Why the Face ID unlock with a mask feature will only work on iPhone 12 and above TNW · Ivan Mehta
- View article GameSpot
- View article iMore
- The Morning After: Latest iOS beta supports FaceID with a mask Engadget · Daniel Cooper
- iOS 15.4 Will Let You Pay With Apple Pay Using Face ID While Wearing a Mask MacRumors · Sami Fathi
- Apple to finally let EU residents add COVID-19 certificates to Wallet app Mashable · Stan Schroeder
- Apple's Next iPhone Software Features Game-Changing New Upgrade Forbes · Kate O'Flaherty
- Face ID works with a mask on iOS 15.4 Beta, no Apple Watch required - Face ID with glasses improved GSMArena.com · Ricky
- iOS 15.4 Beta Adds Ability to use Face ID While Wearing a Mask SPARROWS NEWS · Kamlesh Bhati
- Hands on with Universal Control and other new features in iOS 15.4 AppleInsider · Andrew O'Hara
- Apple testing Face ID that works while wearing a mask news.com.au
- Using Face ID with a mask will not require Apple Watch in iOS 15.4 BGR · Chris Smith
- iOS 15.4 developer beta explored: Here's everything new PhoneArena · Peter Kostadinov
- iOS 15.4 supports Apple Pay Face ID authentication while wearing a mask iMore · Oliver Haslam
- iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 Beta Michael Tsai
- Apple may let you use FaceID with a mask in the next iOS update BGR India · Shweta Ganjoo
- How to use Face ID to unlock iPhone while wearing a face mask Macworld UK
- Apple adds 37 new emoji in iOS 15.4 beta AppleInsider · Wesley Hilliard
- Apple iPad Pro 2021: M1 chip, 5G, Mini LED XDR display, and Everything else you need to know XDA Developers · Sumukh Rao
- Apple to launch mask-detecting Face ID as it hits new revenue record Silicon Republic · Leigh Mc Gowran
- Universal Control hands-on: The magic is alive Macworld · Roman Loyola
- Apple's New Universal Control Feature for Macs Actually Feels Like Magic Gizmodo · Phillip Tracy
- Apple's Universal Control Is Here & It's Amazing 🤯 YouTube
- Here's everything new in the first betas of iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 9to5Mac · Chance Miller
- Universal Control finally arrives on macOS Monterey after a long delay TechRadar · Daryl Baxter
- Hands-On With Universal Control in iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 MacRumors · Juli Clover
- Everything new in iOS 15.4, iPadOS 15.4, and macOS 12.3 Pocketnow · Sanuj Bhatia
- The biting lip emoji coming in iOS 15.4 will instantly make conversations awkward The Verge · Mitchell Clark
Discussion
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@brandonbutch
Brandon Butch
on x
Well this is new (iOS 15.4 Beta 1) [picture of iPhone with an option to use FaceID with a mask]
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
Big news for EU citizens: iOS 15.4 will bring support for adding EU Digital COVID Certificates in the Health and Wallet apps. I tested my Italian vaccination record and it worked with Health. Not in Wallet yet. These will show up under Immunization records in the Health app. 💉 ht…
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
iOS 15.4 beta adds support for Face ID unlocking with a mask on. This worked right away for me and it's amazing. Details: - You can enable it after the update or in Settings later - You can add support for glasses while wearing masks - No support for sunglasses with a mask on htt…
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@sdw
Sebastiaan de With
on x
iOS 15.4 beta has a new ‘Use Face ID with a Mask’ option and the masked FaceID icon is absolutely adorable. https://twitter.com/...
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@bzamayo
Benjamin Mayo
on x
how it started ... how it's going [Touch ID icon without mask, Touch ID icon with mask]
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@brandonbutch
Brandon Butch
on x
Not only can you set up Face ID to be used with a mask, but also with glasses! (iOS 15.4 Beta 1) https://twitter.com/...
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@mgsiegler
M.G. Siegler
on x
This is both fantastic and incredibly depressing. 😷📲 https://twitter.com/...
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@wongmjane
Jane Manchun Wong
on x
trying out iOS 15.4 beta, this has got to be the best feature apple has ever made [picture of password fill option from Messages]
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@tomwarren
Tom Warren
on x
wait Apple added an emoji of me, a troll, in iOS 15.4. Thanks Apple https://twitter.com/...
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@jon_prosser
Jon Prosser
on x
Totally forgot that I leaked this 😂 https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
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@apollozac
Zac Hall
on x
Year 1: Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch if masked Year 2: Unlock iPhone with Face ID if masked Year 3: Unlock iPhone with Touch ID if masked??? https://twitter.com/...
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@harrymccracken
Harry McCracken
on x
Thank goodness, although I hope this is not going to be all that important for all that long. https://t.co/9L9hRkIdZp
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@reneritchie
Rene Ritchie
on x
Yesterday: Apple's a jerk that keeps Sherlock'ing other apps! Today: Apple's a jerk that won't give us a Keychain Password app! Humans are wonderful, whimsical creatures that insist we're intellectually consistent despite all constant evidence to the contrary...
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@rendersbyian
Ian Zelbo
on x
@jon_prosser For people saying it's not new hardware. The original story referred to new iPhone 13 Face ID hardware being tested. It actually is new hardware (the combined dot projector and flood illuminator).
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@markgurman
Mark Gurman
on x
@rmondello Shouldn't there be a standalone Passwords app rather than just a section buried in settings?
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@gcluley
Graham Cluley
on x
In case anyone you know was using this as a reason not to wear a mask... https://9to5mac.com/...
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@stephenrobles
Stephen Robles
on x
Nice! One step closer to using iCloud Keychain for passwords and secure notes full time: https://twitter.com/...
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@eliasmakos
Elias Makos
on x
When you feel the need to cynically blast government for incompetence, just remember it will take the the world's richest tech company two years to make their phones work with masks. https://twitter.com/...
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@tomwarren
Tom Warren
on x
iOS 15.4 beta 1 includes support for Sony's DualSense adaptive trigger firmware features 🙏 there's also Face ID with a mask, new emoji, and Universal Control. Sounds like I'm about to install an iOS beta on my phone https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
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@samifathi_
Sami Fathi
on x
This feels like an indirect message that we're never going to get Touch ID + Face ID combo on an iPhone. https://twitter.com/...
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@samifathi_
Sami Fathi
on x
In case anyone is wondering, Face ID with mask allows for Apple Pay in iOS 15.4 beta 1. Apple Watch unlock previously didn't
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@joannastern
Joanna Stern
on x
Whoa, developer beta of iOS 15.4. includes FaceID with a mask (no need for Apple Watch). Need now! https://9to5mac.com/...
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@stroughtonsmith
Steve Troughton-Smith
on x
If only Apple's new password stuff wasn't buried away in the Settings apps where nobody will find it. We need a new Passwords app to replace Keychain Access and bring it to iOS https://twitter.com/...
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@9to5mac
@9to5mac
on x
iOS 15.4 beta lets users add notes to their iCloud Keychain passwords https://9to5mac.com/... by @filipeesposito
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@macmixing
Dom Esposito
on x
The most helpful iPhone update ever. https://twitter.com/...
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@brianfagioli
Brian Fagioli
on x
Omg. This would be amazing. https://twitter.com/...
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@rustybrick
Barry Schwartz
on x
Cool - face ID without a face. https://twitter.com/...
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@dylanmcd8
@dylanmcd8
on x
FINALLY (only two years too late...) https://twitter.com/...
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
Holy wow Universal Control is incredible. This is me moving between a MacBook Pro, an iPad mini, and an iPad Pro using just the MacBook trackpad and keyboard. It's aware of position, lets you drag files, and supports iPadOS gestures. The hype was real and it all just works 🤯 http…
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@jeffnolan
Jeff Nolan
on x
nice. I bought a Logitech keyboard that can switch between devices. Universal Control is a nice feature add https://twitter.com/...
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@tailosivetech
@tailosivetech
on x
I think this is 1st time we've seen newer versions of Face ID allow for stuff previous versions couldn't do 🧐 Do you think they're artificially limiting older iPhones? https://twitter.com/...
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@samifathi_
Sami Fathi
on x
Universal Control is the first time, in a very long time, I've been genuinely blown away by an @Apple feature/experience.
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@gizmodo
@gizmodo
on x
Apple's New Universal Control Feature for Macs Actually Feels Like Magic https://gizmodo.com/... https://twitter.com/...
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@mattcassinelli
Matthew Cassinelli
on x
Me yesterday: “I'm not gonna install these betas for a bit” Me today: *downloading* https://twitter.com/...
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@samifathi_
Sami Fathi
on x
Alright. I'll be the first to apologize for complaining that Universal Control was taking too long to appear. It was 200% worth the wait. https://twitter.com/...
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@gtinari
George
on x
apple's software team talking to craig federighi about universal control on iOS 15 launch day [video: desperate tearful person apologizing “I'm so, so sorry, it's been impossible, we've been up against so much, it's just not ready..."]
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@maxwinebach
Max Weinbach
on x
Universal Control is super cool. Just playing with it on my mac and ipad
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@kylebrussell
Kyle Russell
on x
Used to be really into multiscreen setups but now this kind of looks exhausting https://twitter.com/...
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@stroughtonsmith
Steve Troughton-Smith
on x
Now this is the multi-pad lifestyle https://twitter.com/...
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@rsgnl
Joe Rossignol
on x
In case you missed it: Universal Control *is* enabled in the macOS 12.3 and iOS 15.4 betas! 🙌 https://twitter.com/...