Face recognition function in iPhone. About Face ID technology in iPhone X. Operating principle and safety. What to do when Face ID is not available

One of the key features of the top new product is Face ID facial recognition technology. We’ll tell you right now how Face ID works on iPhone X, how to set it up, and how secure it is.

As you have already noticed, on the front iPhone panels X has a small cutout at the top. There is a special module located here, which contains several sensors, including a TrueDepth camera, which, along with other sensors, responds to facial recognition technology. That's why Apple couldn't get rid of that part of the perimeter bezel. Face ID technology has replaced Touch ID. And, according to the manufacturer, it is more reliable than using a fingerprint scanner.

What can it be used for?

Face ID can be used to unlock your smartphone, to pay for purchases in the Apple Store (iTunes Store), to use payment system Apple Pay, to protect applications. That is, your face now becomes your personal password, which cannot be faked either by a photograph or by a similar person. Unless you have a real twin. Why can't you unlock your iPhone using your photo? Because the device requires a three-dimensional image. Also, the smartphone will clearly understand, based on your eyes, whether the person in front of it is alive or not. Even if another user wears a mask with your face, Face ID will not recognize it.

How to setup?

To set up Face ID on iPhone X, you need to visit the corresponding section in Settings. There you will be asked to shake your head in a circle so that the system remembers you. The main role here is played by the TrueDept camera, which projects more than 30,000 invisible dots onto your face, and then creates a structural image based on them. When the camera has read your face, its structure is transferred to the A11 Bionic chip and converted into a mathematical model. During the unlocking process, the chip will simply compare the user's face with the saved model.

It's worth noting that on iPhone X you can only add one face. Using multiple faces to unlock (for example, multiple members of your family) will not work. Moreover, in order for the system to remember the new face, you will first need to reset the function. When unlocking, you don't have to hold the phone against your face - you can just hold it at a comfortable angle.

How well does it work?

Until we ourselves try Face ID in reality, we will not be able to verify that the technology works error-free and smoothly. But this will not happen soon. The phone will appear only in November, so for now we can only rely on the opinions of people who attended the presentation and then “used” the iPhone in the demo area.

Note that Touch ID was blocked after five unsuccessful attempts to scan a finger. With Face ID, you only have two tries. After two unsuccessful attempts, the phone will lock and require you to enter a passcode.

By the way, we note that during the presentation, the Face ID function let Apple down a little - it did not work properly. When Craig Federighi took the stage to demonstrate Face ID, but an attempt to recognize his face was unsuccessful. Some viewers immediately doubted the perfection of the new feature. Later, several assumptions appeared on the Internet as to why this happened.

According to one opinion, the device asked for a password because the phone had not been used in the last 48 hours. And the system automatically worked this way for safety reasons. Another opinion is that on the demo iPhone X, before the presentation, they forgot to enter the access code after it was rebooted. Another opinion is that several unsuccessful attempts were made to unlock the device before the demonstration. Well, the most courageous opinion is that Face ID simply could not recognize the executive director of Apple.

By the way, later, when the media tried the new feature on themselves, one of the journalists reported that he had several unsuccessful attempts to unlock the device using his face. However, Apple assures us that Face ID can work even in poor lighting conditions or even if you grow a beard, try on a hat, glasses, or wear heavy makeup. But we're not talking about sunglasses, as they darken your eyes. Also, you won’t be able to unlock your smartphone if you’re sleeping at the time—you’ll definitely need to look at your iPhone. Well, we'll see...

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iPhone X users around the world have reported that the Face ID scanner is not working after a system update. Error messages appeared after the iOS 11.2 update. According to Apple, the error rate of the proprietary biometric sensor is 1:1000000. However, iPhone X users often complained about problems with the system. In this article, we list five major problems with Face ID and how to solve them.

Part 1. Common Problems with iPhone X Face ID

1. Face ID iPhone X failed to set up

You cannot access Apple settings ID on iPhone X and get stuck in the recognizing interface. Double click will take you to the previous page.

2. iPhone X won't unlock

Face ID, which was first adopted by the iPhone X, seems to have a lot of recognition issues, just like what happened with Touch ID a few years ago. People are reporting that iPhone X's Face ID can't recognize their face after they set up Face ID.

3. iPhone X Face ID doesn't work

Face ID is the most attractive iPhone function X, which allows you to unlock your iPhone without entering a passcode, use Apple pay and buy at App Store, iTunes Store and iBooks, etc. However, some users claim that Face ID cannot unlock apps and the iPhone X is completely unresponsive when it encounters the owner's face.

4. iPhone X can't unlock if you wear contact lenses

Face ID cannot identify your face when you wear contact lenses. So it just keeps scanning but can't unlock.

5. iPhone X Face ID error

A user complains on Twitter that his iPhone X is unlocked after he showed it to his wife. However, the person said that he can unlock his friend's iPhone X since they look similar to each other.

Part 2. Methods to fix iPhone X Face ID problems

1. First you need to check

The TrueDepth camera is not covered with anything.
Your face, including eyes, nose, mouth, is directly facing the TrueDepth Camera without any block.
Keep 10-20 inches between iPhone X and your face for clear recognition.
Don't use Face ID under the backlight when you're outside in bright sunlight.

2. Take off glasses

According to Apple, Face ID is designed to work with many glasses. However, if you wear glasses that block certain types of light, the infrared camera may have difficulty recognizing your face. To avoid this, remove sunglasses or contact lenses

3. Update the latest iOS system

If you are sure that the physical conditions are set correctly, but your problem is not solved, you need to check whether the latest iOS system is running on iPhone X. As we know, Face ID is first introduced on iPhone X, it will inevitably have some problems. Update operating system to the latest version - this is the simplest advice to fix some unexpected errors. You better create backup copy your iPhone X to avoid data loss during the update. Then go to Settings > General > Software Update to download and install latest version OS.

4. Check Face ID settings on iPhone X

Another tip that you may want to ignore is that you need to check if Face ID Unlock is enabled. Go to Settings > Face ID & Password. If you want to use Face ID to unlock, turn on the iPhone Unlock option.


5. Reset Face ID

If you find that iPhone X is not working and you cannot use it for anything like unlocking, shopping, etc. You can try resetting Face ID. It will delete all existing face data and set up a new face ID. Go to Settings > Face ID & Password > Reset Face ID.

6. Force restart iPhone X

Force reboot is always useful when you encounter various iOS such as iPhone stuck on Apple logo/black screen/DFU mode/blue screen. You can try this method when iPhone X is stuck in Face ID scanning.

Step 1: Quickly press and immediately release the Volume Up button.
Step 2: Quickly press and immediately release the Volume Down button.
Step 3: Press and hold the Side (Sleep/Wake) button until the Apple logo appears.


Especially if your iPhone X is experiencing some system damage

7. Reset all settings

If iPhone X Face ID failed to recognize your face even though you set a new Face ID, another method you can try is to reset all settings. It will reset iPhone X to its default settings without losing data. The Reset All Settings option works for many iPhone problems such as Wi-Fi disconnect error, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset all settings

8. Fix iOS system to fix Face ID problems

Problems with Face ID iPhone X may be caused by system glitches. The methods above don't always work well. You can use an effective tool to restore your operating system without losing data. It works great if Face ID doesn't recognize your face.

X curbed the ardor of enthusiasts and gave more reasons for skepticism. The funny embarrassment that happened to Apple Vice President Craig Federighi instantly became known to the whole world, after which people began to doubt the reliability and security of Face ID.

In this article, we will tell you why this technology is needed and discuss whether there is reason to fear that one day the iPhone X will not be able to be unlocked.

Face ID is a program that can identify a user by face. Responsible for front-camera True Depth. The camera is located on a small “island” in the front, not covered by the display – geeks aptly dubbed it the “bangs”. The bangs hide a huge number of sensors and electronics.

These sensors enable Face ID to work. When the user takes the smartphone in his hand, an infrared sensor (flood illuminator) is activated, the task of which is to recognize whether there is a face in front of the screen. With a positive response from infrared sensor The dot projector starts up - the laser projects 30,000 dots onto the face in front of the screen. Finally, the infrared camera reads those points that are clearly visible and compares them with the 3D image the user originally took. If the technology “recognizes” the owner, the processor is given the command: the gadget needs to be unlocked.

The same system is used to create animoji, which are capable of copying the user’s facial expressions.

For Face ID, the most important thing is to see 3 elements of the user’s face: mouth, nose and eyes. If an iPhone X owner changes his hairstyle or grows a beard or mustache, this will not confuse Apple technology. It’s another matter if a person puts on dark glasses, takes his eyes away from the camera, closes them, or covers his mouth with a scarf - in these cases, Face ID may be powerless.

Apple has installed a small coprocessor in its flagship, thanks to which Face ID will remember the face more and more clearly over time. The longer you use your smartphone, the faster facial recognition works and the less accessories like glasses confuse the program.

What is Face ID technology for?

Using Face ID, you can:

In short, Face ID completely covers the functionality of Touch ID.

How to set up Face ID?

Setting up Face ID should only be done by thoroughly stretching the cervical vertebrae. You can find the required option on your phone by following the path “ Settings» — « Face ID and password" Once in the menu of the corresponding settings section, you need to act as follows:

  • Click on " Setting up Face ID» and place the device at a distance of approximately 30 cm from your face. A round frame will appear on the screen - make sure that your face is in the center.
  • Slowly move your head in a circular motion so that the program can form a structural (3D) image. By the way, for those who, due to physical limitations, cannot turn their heads, Apple has provided a different algorithm - you can activate it through the settings section “ Accessibility options».
  • Click " Further" and repeat the circular motion.
  • When a notification appears on the screen that Face ID is configured, click on “ Ready».

This useful animation is posted on the Apple website:

You can only add one face to Face ID on iPhone X. Setting up a smartphone so that any family member can unlock it using their face will not work.

Is Face ID really safe?

Apple claims: the probability that an iPhone X will make a mistake when unlocking by face is 1:1,000,000. For comparison, the probability of a Touch ID error was 1:50,000. In order to explain the incredible security of Face ID and relieve users of doubts about the advisability of using the program , Apple said the following about the technology:

  • A unique 3D facial image cannot be stolen. It is stored in the Secure Enclave coprocessor memory on the device itself and on Apple servers is not sent.
  • Face ID won't "buy" into a photo because infrared dots are projected differently onto a flat image. In this aspect, Apple certainly outperformed, whose Face Unlock technology was easily fooled with a photograph.
  • You can’t fool Face ID with masks and plaster models either. Apple checked.

Despite all this, Face ID technology is far from perfect. Specifically, she failed the “twin test.”

There is no guarantee that the smartphone cannot be unlocked by using a 3D mask. Modern technologies They allow you to make one from just one photograph of a person. From this point of view, Touch ID is even more reliable: Hollywood films lie - the fingerprint sensor will not respond to the finger of the deceased, a severed finger or a prosthesis. For the scanner to work, you need a surface electric charge, which only living tissue provides. In the case of Face ID, there is no direct contact - this gives scammers room to experiment with a 3D printer.

In addition, Secure Enclave cannot be called invulnerable. Back in mid-2017, they managed to hack the coprocessor and made the decryption key public (as reported by threatpost.com). Apple has patched up this “hole”, but users of Apple technology have already begun to have doubts about how responsibly the Cupertino people take to ensuring the safety of personal data.

5 Important Points a Face ID User Should Know

It is important for iPhone X users to remember that Face ID:

  • Will not be able to recognize the child. For technology, all children under 12 years of age are (approximately) the same person.
  • Doesn't like sunlight. There is a possibility that the True Depth camera will not be able to perform its functions in sunny weather. The user will have to find a shadow or at least change the angle of the device to unlock the phone using the face.
  • Doesn't work in landscape orientation. At least for now. The iPhone must be held vertically.
  • It will turn off if it fails to recognize the user's face 2 times in a row. The iPhone owner will have to enter a password.
  • Not the most dynamic way to unlock a smartphone. Touch ID is much faster - like any other fingerprint scanner on modern mobile phones.

It is obvious that many of the described shortcomings will be eliminated as the program is updated and improved. The same Touch ID, which is now an effective tool for protecting a smartphone, was mercilessly criticized by users at first.

Conclusion

The 1:1,000,000 ratio that Apple loves to flaunt looks extremely dubious. A study organized by the University of Washington showed that even the most powerful of modern facial recognition systems demonstrate an efficiency of 98% - that is, they are wrong at least twice 100 times. The analysis is carried out permanently, the data is constantly updated - perhaps someday a system will appear on the list that works accurately in 99.9999% of cases, but at the current level of technology development this looks like a utopia.

However, even in its current state, Face ID copes with iPhone protection not bad. Sometimes the program is even too vigilant, which explains the incident with Federighi. According to Apple, in the time leading up to the presentation, Face ID had to try to identify a huge number of individuals, so it decided to play it safe and ask for a password.

- this is great. Yes, the technology is slower than Touch ID, but when it works properly, you don't even notice it. In a way, it's like magic. And this is still the first generation of the system. Remember how slow the first generation Touch ID was? So it has its own nuances and bugs, like any other new technology.

Face ID works great 90% of the time. If the remaining 10% really upsets you, try following the tips listed below. They may make Face ID work better for you.

1. Don't wait for the castle animation

If you just stare at the locked screen and wait for the lock animation to complete, the unlocking process will take a very long time.

Here's what you need to do instead: immediately swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and by the time it opens main screen, the phone will be unlocked. Face ID is designed so that you don't notice it at all. And usually it is.

After a week of tests, we can say for sure that this unlocking method is the fastest.

Perhaps Apple is trying to save battery in this way, but if you just look at the screen and do nothing, the phone rarely unlocks itself.

2. Quick method: touch and swipe in one motion

The fastest method of using Face ID is using tap wakeup. You don't even have to reach for the side button to activate the screen.

If your phone is lying on the table, or the display doesn't turn on when you pick it up, simply tap the bottom of the screen and immediately swipe up. You will unlock your phone very quickly.

3. HoldiPhoneon distance 25-50 cm

Face ID works best if you hold the phone at a distance of 25-50cm from your face. If this is too far for you, move your phone closer or change the angle. When you're lying in bed and holding your smartphone too close to your face, the technology is unlikely to work.

The easiest thing to do if the authentication attempt fails is not to change the angle, but simply move the phone further away from your face or vice versa.

4. Keep your sensors cleanTrueDepth

Over time, the area of ​​the screen where the sensors are located (the notch) may become covered in dust. Especially if you carry your phone in a case. Wipe the display with a microfiber cloth from time to time.

5. Disable recognition attention

If you often have to unlock your phone without looking at it: in the car, when it's on the table, etc., turn off attention recognition.

Go to Settings -> Basic -> Universal access -> Face ID and password code and disable the option Demand attention ForFace ID.

Now Face ID will work even when you are not looking at the display. However, this increases the risk that someone else can break into your phone while you're sleeping or just not looking at it.

6. Avoid sun protection points

Some sunglasses block the infrared light that Face ID uses for attention recognition. If you often wear such glasses due to work, then it is better to disable this function (discussed above).

7. Avoid sunny Sveta

Direct sunlight prevents Face ID from working properly, like any other camera. If you are trying to unlock your phone outside, turn around so that the sunlight does not shine on either the camera or your face.

8. After an unsuccessful attempt enter password

If Face ID authentication fails, do not try again, but instead enter your password. When you enter your password, Face ID learns and remembers your face.

9. Enable notification previews on your lock screen

For many people, Face ID doesn't work very well when the lock screen is open. If you immediately swipe the screen, everything works fine. In this regard, problems arise. For example, the inability to quickly see the content of your notifications on the lock screen.

To solve the problem, go to Settings -> Notifications -> Show thumbnails -> Always.

Now you don't need to use Face ID to view the contents of notifications.

10. Reset settingsFace ID

The last salvation is to reset all Face ID settings. This will remove all data about your face.