How good is FaceID in 2023?

Submitted by zeppovendetta t3_126l7g0 in iphone

Hello all,

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I've not had an iPhone since the iPhone 7, been in the Pixel lineup. Recently got a Pixel 7 but the fingerprint reader is beyond useless coming from my Pixel 5. It does have Face Unlock but it can only be used as a screen unlock (not as proper authentication) so it's not all that useful.

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My question is really, how good is FaceID in the Apple world? Does it work as well as TouchID used to? How about in low light? I did give this a Google but most info was from when it was originally released.

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acosmichippo t1_je9l2pa wrote

the only time faceid regularly doesn’t work for me is if i have my head buried in a pillow in bed. that is the only time i wish i still had touchid.

other than that it’s pretty seamless. there are occasional failures but it’s pretty rare. low light is not a problem at all.

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archangel12 t1_jeb14ov wrote

I have exactly the same problem! Other than the pillow situation, it is pretty much flawless.

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zeppovendetta OP t1_je9wc9y wrote

This is really what I was looking for. Could see me moving back to iPhone with the 15, it seems like a bit of a gamechanger which Android is lagging way behind on.

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UndertaleShorts t1_jea7o62 wrote

iPhone faceid doesn’t use camera, it uses rays to detect face shape so light doesn’t matter

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Captain_Alaska t1_jec9o9s wrote

It does actually matter, just in the opposite way. Since it uses IR it can get overwhelmed when there’s too much IR, which can happen in direct sunlight depending on the angle between the phone and sun.

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goroskob t1_jedjr6w wrote

Having glasses on doesn’t help too

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Eclipsetube t1_jedkgis wrote

Only sunglasses can be a problem

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goroskob t1_jedkslp wrote

Don’t know about sunglasses, but wearing regular glasses I constantly get troubles unlocking the phone with a direct sunlight on my face.

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Erakko t1_jee2aiy wrote

I have no problems with glasses and faceid. Both regular glasses and sun glasses work without any problems.

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BaseballRemote4603 t1_jeejukj wrote

Yeah same here. I just did the second scan to include the sunglasses and have zero issues with it

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Erakko t1_jeeqs4e wrote

Yeah my scan includes the glasses tol

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oozingdonut t1_jeamvdn wrote

It’s amazing, I came from a Galaxy s20+ and its a whole new world. Only times it tends to fail is if I’m backlit and sun shines in the lens (easily fixed by blocking the sun with my body or turning) or if I’m wearing sunglasses. It usually doesn’t have a problem with sunglasses, but sometimes it does. You can add a secondary look though, so I could just save one of me with sunglasses and take care of the issue, I’m just lazy and it doesn’t happen frequently enough for me to care lol

It even recognizes my face when it’s inside my motorcycle helmet AND (sometimes) wearing sunglasses. It’s great

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bsmithi t1_jeb1c42 wrote

fyi it projects infrared dots on you, that you can’t see, and it can see, even in perfect dark

so long as it can see a decent bit of your face and you look at it (or are wearing a paired watch) it will unlock or authenticate

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mrbee1551 t1_jea7h00 wrote

When I just wake up it sometimes doesn't recognize my face - this is true, and kinda funny.

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Rude_Marsupial_4181 t1_jedmm89 wrote

Try setting an alternate appearance when you wake up, really helps. FaceID recognises my face inside a motorcycle helmet too, so I’d say it’s pretty good

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mathgrg t1_jedmir8 wrote

I have noticed that too. But, I thought it is because my eyes are not open as much as the iPhone likes. It works after I force my eyes to open wide 😅

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Complex71920 t1_jebunnr wrote

Curious, do you wear prescription glasses or contacts?

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mrbee1551 t1_jee2iob wrote

I wear glasses

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Complex71920 t1_jef4m97 wrote

So this has been true for everyone that I’ve asked to try but next morning, try and focus on how close you’re holding your phone when Face ID doesn’t work. Because it’s most likely that it’s just too close to your face (because you wear glasses and prob check your phone before putting them on) Otherwise there should be no reason your phone “doesn’t recognize” you in the morning. Your eyes being a bit puff or whatever doesn’t impact it.

I don’t believe it’s that Face ID doesn’t recognize you in the morning, it’s that you’re holding your phone way too close and thus it won’t work.

(I don’t mean to come off rude or condescending btw just genuinely trying to help 🙂)

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Literary_Lava t1_jee39hs wrote

Faceid uses infrared, so forget low light, it can unlock even in pitch black darkness.

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meppph t1_jee5w3a wrote

In my case its the pillow and when your mouth is stuffed with food or while you are chewing, wont work 100% of the times

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Simon-RedditAccount t1_je9t68m wrote

Yeah, you have to rise your head every time.

Btw covering the same percent of your face horizontally doesn’t cause any problems.

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thefnboogeyman t1_je9lj9q wrote

It works well enough that I hardly notice it’s there. I know some people have issues but imo it’s about as good as it can be.

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tsb041978 t1_je9jovw wrote

I have never had any problems with FaceID.

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Educational_Worth906 t1_je9l0sz wrote

Face ID works excellently for me. It’s not too fussy about angles, or the fact that my face can change from full beard to clean shaven, or be anything in between. With or without glasses or sunglasses not a problem either. I prefer it to fingerprint, but I never had a problem with that apart from it being inconvenient if wearing gloves.

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Kickmeiamadog t1_jeb4xar wrote

As someone that walked a lot in the cold, Face ID solved this problem for me. Constantly tapping in the passcode with crappy touch screen thin gloves or taking them off and never getting my hands warm again.

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Bloodwalker09 t1_je9lkjm wrote

Well it’s used for authentication for everything. From Unlocking the phone, unlocking Apps or buying stuff in the AppStore or if you use ApplePay.

The low light performance is incredible, because if I’m not wrong it completely works through infrared and not the camera it even works in complete darkness.

Since the iPhone 12 I think it even works with medical masks on if you use them. Even with glasses and an medical mask I can unlock in an instant.

Only thing that you might miss is unlocking without looking directly at your phone. So for example if you have your phone laying on the table and it’s not facing you, you either have to unlock via passcode or take the phone in your hands. Or if possible put your head above the phone.

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PreparationOk4251 t1_jebgtkp wrote

The last part you said is true but if you have an Apple Watch and enable unlock with Apple Watch once the watch is on your wrist and unlocked you can access the phone on the desk

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iCantThinkOfUserNaem t1_jeedg7r wrote

And also since the iPhone 13 you can finally use Face ID horizontally like on the iPad Pro. But I’m starting to wonder if the iPad Pro 2020 was the first to get Face ID with a mask or the M1.

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CrashyBoye t1_jea186g wrote

Face ID has been great for me. As others have pointed out the only time I have issues with it is when I’m in bed and laying on my side. Otherwise, 99% of the time my phone is unlocked before I even have to think about it.

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Simon-RedditAccount t1_je9tiin wrote

It also depends on the model. The newer iPhone you get, the better the scanner is.

And, in case you did not know: it’s a 3D scanner, based on a technology similar to Microsoft Kinect. Presenting a 2D photo of your head won’t work. Presenting a 3D printed, but uncolored copy of your head would not work either.

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AskewScissors t1_jeba86e wrote

This! Switched from 11 Pro Max to 13 and the change is very noticeable. Even if I’m wearing a bike helmet, the 13 still recognises my face instantly. I can also use Face ID if my phone is sitting horizontally (watching Netflix) these are the things which were either lacking or not as good on the 11 Pro Max

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arein114 t1_je9x7ie wrote

coming from a s21 ultra to the iphone 14 pro max, its 1000 times better. It works great, I did like the finger print scanner on the ultra but the face id is just better all around.

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BrikenEnglz t1_je9nlnu wrote

When it works - it works. When it does not - it does not. Usually its outside with scarf since I dont have mask mode enabled for better security.

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Obi-Lan t1_jeaelwc wrote

Light is irrelevant. It works in absence of it. But it's not working all the time. Especially not with masks.

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DigGumPig t1_je9ol0k wrote

Works better than Touch ID ever has for me.

The only time i am ever prompted to enter the Passcode these days is when i try to unlock my iPhone when it is on a night stand and my face is not directly in it's line of sight or when i boot up after an iOS update or phone restart.

My iPad Pro 2nd gen has Touch ID. I really wish it had Face ID instead.

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Sylvurphlame t1_jea6szs wrote

Face ID has been fantastic. I currently have an 11 Pro, and previously an XR and I’ve not had any more misfires than I did with Touch ID on the 5S, 6S and 8 that I owned previously.

The Covid mask mandates were a little rough until they pushed out that update enabling Apple Watch authentication, but the newer models don’t require that. They can do an initial unlock with the face obscured (but not payment or other more sensitive authentication).

That said, I miss Touch ID in two specific scenarios

  1. The option to go directly to the home screen by tasting your finger on the haptic home button.
  2. Quicker Apple Pay authentication using the same technique

But the overall gains far outweigh those two losses.

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dropkickmaki t1_je9nch4 wrote

Face ID is working well, in my opinion. It’s probably one of the top reasons I came back to iPhone.

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lovefist1 t1_jeam03h wrote

I’m a Pixel enthusiast too (6a here), and FaceID is excellent. Works in nearly all situations unless your face is obscured by something other than glasses. Works with sunglasses too.

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ButOfCourse t1_jearavz wrote

I much prefer finger ID personally yet everyone seems to like it

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Kickmeiamadog t1_jeb4fvk wrote

Switching from my X, which was first gen Face ID, which was ok, but not the fastest and struggled at some angles, to the 14 pro, is like switching from 3G to 5G, it’s fast, can do multiple angles (just about does laid flat on desk) and what blew my mind was that it does landscape Face ID. No complaints here.

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Noah_PpAaRrKkSs t1_jebf715 wrote

Face ID has always been better than Touch ID imo. It’s infrared so it works better in the dark.

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blorgobot t1_jebixcb wrote

It's good. Works in low light for me. Having recently purchased an iPad Air that only has touchID, I find myself annoyed at the inconvenience of having to move my hand. Damn I'm lazy.

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Icy-Rock-425 t1_jecjx1v wrote

It's perfect. You won't even notice it while unlocking the phone.

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Kranon7 t1_je9nyks wrote

It works every time I have needed it, unless I was holding my phone at an extremely unusual angle.

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Siosal01 t1_jea631y wrote

I've recently moved from Android to iOS and I really miss fingerprint scanning. That said, while I was asked by my phone whether I wanted to setup faceId with a mask on as well as an alternate appearance (supposedly for people who wear glasses etc.), my faceId recognises me with a beard, with glasses, sunglasses and even wearing a hat.

So while it's a little annoying having to crane my neck in order for the camera see me, it's actually really, really good.

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NeilFX t1_jea71vm wrote

Weird experience I had today was that FaceID unlocked with having a full-face motorcycle helmet on. Thought that was weird lol. But yeah generally it works on most cases you'd expect it to. When my face is buried in a pillow is when you'd expect it won't and it really doesn't lol.

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NeilFX t1_jea73jc wrote

Low light with face up front is no problem. 100% of the time.

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mrbee1551 t1_jea7dyf wrote

I just moved to iOS from having Pixel phones with zippy touch unlock and I have to say the 14p FaceID is pretty quick. It's very cool to just pick up the phone and boom it's unlocks without any effort.

Also very fast for authorizing payments and passwords too.

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Bacon-80 t1_jeab49f wrote

Honestly it’s gotten so much better than when it was first introduced. Initially it needed a lot of direct light on the unlocker’s face, now it can do it in nearly no light/little to no light other than my phone screen’s dim glow.

It’s also pretty snappy with unlocking my phone, logging into things, entering passwords etc.

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Jolly_Wrangler_4512 t1_jeaftbe wrote

wroks really great. sometimes when I'm laying in bed it sometimes doesn't work. They updated it so it even works when you have a mask on.

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JonBuqajIsSUS t1_jeahgxx wrote

Face iD is magical,and I'm saying that as a Android user,but if you want to stay in Android,get the S23U,best Android out there imo

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pukingpixels t1_jeahkrp wrote

It’s amazing. Hat, mask and sunglasses on in a pitch black room, phone unlocks immediately as soon as I open one eye. Just have to get used to looking in the right spot.

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CaptainRagdoll t1_jeanu8x wrote

Face ID is as good, if not better than TouchID. Generally the gesture based features are much more modern, than the button or haptic button. While they were reliable, Face ID doesn’t disappoint.

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OfficalBigDrip t1_jeanxyy wrote

It’s honestly “fine”. It works 97% of the time, however on my iPhone 13 it’s noticeably slow compared to an older iPhone.

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arochains1231 t1_jeaq0zu wrote

It works pretty well for me! The only times it consistently struggles to recognize my face is if I'm laying down sideways or if I'm doing something like eating, other than that it's nearly flawless.

Bonus is if you have an Apple Watch and you're wearing a mask, the watch can unlock the phone even with your face covered. Super convenient when I'm out in public and don't want to remove the mask every time to unlock my phone.

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JustRollWithIt t1_jeaqdst wrote

I think the only issue I’ve ever had with Face ID is with the detection with a face covering. When my sister or I have a mask on, we can unlock each others phones. Not a big deal and you can always turn off the setting if it’s an issue for you. Never had any problems in low light either.

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N0TJakefromStateFarm t1_jeau9kq wrote

Absolutely love it on the 13 pro max, only time it didn't work was when I had a cheap screen protector on and it lifted up over the sensor, and as soon as I removed the protector and put a good one on, problem resolved.

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Quinesta t1_jeaymu3 wrote

I hate Face ID tbh, it never works for me and I’d rather just go back to finger print or home button

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Kevzadze t1_jeays9h wrote

Due to how FaceID system works, it’s better in zero light (complete darkness) than in day-light.

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Curious_Bumblebee511 t1_jeb0u7c wrote

I just upgraded from a pixel 4a5g to the 14p. It’s a world of difference better. I was looking at the p7, but I’m glad i made the jump to iPhone

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UltraAlphaOne t1_jeb1fx6 wrote

Same as it was when it first came out

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TokathSorbet t1_jeb4pws wrote

There was a month at the start of the pandemic where it didn’t like face masks, but it’s honestly been flawless for me.

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segosmix t1_jebf53n wrote

>a month

It was an entire year for it to immediately recognize masks and prompt for a PIN code without waiting. Then another year for it to identify you with a mask on

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WholeIndividual8132 t1_jeb90kj wrote

Moved from s10+ to 14PM and i can honestly say face id is best. Let me tell you what i felt while using s10+…When ever your hands are wet it wont work, if you didnt add fingerprint in all the angles( like when holding in the hand and when phone is on the table) it wont work i used to have 2 sets of fingerprints saved for a same finger. In 14PM from setup time to using face id, it is so swift. And it works everytime.

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wdm42 t1_jebdk0k wrote

FaceID works about 75% of the time for me. iPhone 14 pro max, YMMV

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duvagin t1_jebg1lt wrote

FaceID works great for me in 2023, so much so I use it with Apple Wallet to pay for stuff at the shops and it has been 100% reliable and unlocks the phone quicker than I can present it to the card reader. Also, it works if your phone is in landscape mode nowadays too. I haven't really used it in the dark, but understand it uses non-video depth sensor or other part of the spectrum to track your noggin so should be be fine.*

*It's dark here in the UK, i just switched off all the lights and unlocked my iPhone with FaceID, perfect, first time, flawless.

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PreparationOk4251 t1_jebg5ky wrote

It works very good in every condition , except any iPhones below the 12 cannot use Face ID with a mask , iPhone 12 - Face ID with mask , No landscape iPhone 13 - Face ID with mask , landscape mode aswell iPhone 11 and below - Face ID no mask unless you have an Apple Watch Basically works flawlessly even in low light cause of the dot projectors ect

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ajd103 t1_jebj81x wrote

Some tips if you choose to keep using the P7

-If you have a screen protector turn on screen pro mode (display settings), re-enroll fingerprints

-Use index finger and not thumb for the FP's, sometimes it also works better when you're fingers are more wet, you'll find me sometimes licking them like turning the page on a book

-Turn on smart lock, I have mine setup to not need unlocked whenever I'm at my house or whenever I have my car blue-tooth connected, with those two enabled I don't need the FP unlock as much anymore

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Overall the FP sensor is shit on p7 compared to the back FP unlock on older devices (came from a 4a).I'm not a fan of face unlock (just feels creepy) and wouldn't use it regardless of which device I'm using, but to each their own, good luck!

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Noirettes t1_jebjx9e wrote

I wear glasses (always) and usually a mask when I’m not at home, I think it works pretty well. There are times when it doesn’t recognize or my mask is too high. It works very well aside from that!

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ForFoxSake46 t1_jebldxa wrote

I love Face ID. It’s quick, works in low light with the LiDAR, and I use it for everything sensitive on my phone from Authenticator apps to wallets or bank accounts. It’s gotten faster with the 14 Pro as well, from what I’ve heard. But I was moving from an iPhone 8 up to the 14 Pro so that jump will show improvement no matter what lol

EDIT: EXCEPT when I’m wearing sunglasses. It relies on your eyes so much that clear glasses work but sunglasses have proven to be a barrier I can’t get passed easily if at all.

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Physical_Discipline t1_jebv1qx wrote

Well I work at a hospital and must wear a n95 mask and surgeon cap all day and it works 90% of the time.

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indecisive-axolotl t1_jebxqw1 wrote

Mine works in total darkness. The unlock with the Apple Watch works brilliantly when I have a mask on. The only time it doesn’t work for me is if I don’t tilt the phone enough for it to get a good look at my face.

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Karrott9 t1_jec15qo wrote

I just bought a Pixel 7. So the fingerprint doesn't work? I haven't opened the box yet.

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De1icat3 t1_jec806j wrote

Works so well, that I can not understand why wouldn't they add the option to make the home screen pop up right after you unlock it, just like with Touch ID.

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Radiant-Principle460 t1_jeca1lu wrote

Its fantastic, you can have glasses on or off hat or no hat beard no beard- it’s spot on. Apple 12proplus

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Unprepped321 t1_jedbwie wrote

Works every time except when face in pillow or too close to screen

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faretheewellennui t1_jedfm9c wrote

Works great for me. Only time it doesn’t work is in the morning when I first wake up (I guess my face is puffy then 😂) and after I get out of the shower.

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For-the-Cubbies t1_jedgfdb wrote

It’s probably the best part of iPhone for me. It works so well that I don’t even think about it.

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dmart91300 t1_jedi65y wrote

Honestly I’ve found FaceID is pretty flawless. I can’t remember the last time I had an issue using it with either my iPad or iPhone. In iOS 16 they even added landscape mode to Face ID for the iPhone 13 and 14 series.

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newecreator t1_jedkn5j wrote

I prefer it because I don't have to worry about my sweaty fingers.

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BuddhaJon t1_jedmb56 wrote

Truly fantastic. It's the only way I unlock my phone and as many apps as possible. Takes a split second, totally secure, super easy to use.

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Whatintheworld1976 t1_jedn766 wrote

It works for me in my dark bedroom with or without glasses. Just the light from the lock screen works. It has gotten better over the years, it is really good.

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tobleroneeater03 t1_jedpsf8 wrote

it’s amazing, unlocking with low light is great and authentications are much better with it. + if your hands are sweaty you don’t need to type your passcode ;)

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OnyxDesigns t1_jedszld wrote

imo FaceID is inferior to TouchID. I came from an S22 Ultra and the fingerprint scanner is one if the things i miss the most.

Tho overall I'm pretty dissatisfied, this will probably be my last apple device.

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ApprehensiveHalf2802 t1_jedu5r5 wrote

Even the banking apps use apple’s face id and not android’s. Still you have doubts ?

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DaveEwart t1_jedu9wn wrote

FaceID works really well in all circumstances I’ve used it. I’ve heard it struggles in strong sunlight sometimes but I live in the UK so wouldn’t know about that. 😉

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Aeonon2 t1_jee1cq0 wrote

It works great. No problem with wearing glasses. It even worked when I had those big plastic face shields on. Only if the shield was really fogged up would face id not work.

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Waveatthesun t1_jee79eb wrote

I got my very first iPhone last year and was also kind of worried. However, so far it works wonders and the integration is a lot better than whatever you find on Android, at least for me, with Xiaomi/POCO.

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UrAlexios t1_jefgopj wrote

From what I saw it works very good. Being a face unlock method it needs to see your face (duh) but using infrared, it works in the dark as good as in the light.

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ResisterTransSister t1_jefu9ef wrote

I love that the FaceID works so well. I can be in the dark, bright lighting, glasses, no glasses, makeup (most of the time), without makeup, pretty much anywhere. It’s handy for when I’m working, but need to check something while walking or whenever. It’s so much handier than TouchID in those instances.

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MichiganYooper t1_jebyyyl wrote

I don’t use it. Never even activated in my 14 Pro Max… if someone wants to look at stupid random crap on my phone let them

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