The Face ID function on the iPhone X is powered by a series of tiny sensing hardware devices inserted in the “notch” at the top of the iPhone X screen.
Face ID paints your face with invisible infrared light and scans it with an infrared sensor to determine if you are the person who is allowed to unlock this particular phone. When Face ID works, it’s almost invisible. Here’s how to set up and use this feature.
How to configure Face ID on iPhone X
Setting up Face ID
By default, when you set up your iPhone X for the first time, you’ll be asked if you’d like to set up Face ID. If you do not feel comfortable or have no time, do not worry: you can always configure Face ID later by going to the Settings app by tapping on Face ID and password and then tapping Face ID. (This is also where you can remove Face ID later if you want to configure your phone to recognize another person.) Note that Face ID can only store a single face.) The registration process is the same.
1. Prepare to twist the neck
Setting up Face ID is a quick and simple process. After touching Start, you’ll see an image of yourself, taken from the iPhone X front camera. This is actually the only part of Face ID that uses that camera – everything else is done using infrared sensors, not the normal camera.
Place your face in the frame on the screen and when the sensors recognize that there is a face, you will see the display tighten in a circle and start to hear some exciting background sounds to make you feel like some kind of supercomputer is doing scan your face.
You will be asked to “slowly move your head to complete the circle”. Basically, take a slow spin while still holding your iPhone X, so that it can map all the different corners of your face. While doing this, some animations move on your face and the circle around your face is filled with green lines.
You will be asked to repeat the procedure a second time, filling the circle again while turning your head to give the iPhone a good view of the entire face. That’s all.
As soon as you fill the circle a second time, Face ID is set and you are ready to go. It does not take much time. It took me 18 seconds to set up Face ID.
2. Set the Face ID options
Now that Face ID is active, you can choose when to apply it. By default, Face ID requires your attention to unlock the device. This means that you have to look directly at the phone, which is useful, because it means you can not look at the phone while you are away.
Face ID also checks if you’re paying attention while you’re using the phone, in some special situations. It does not obscure the screen or play alert sounds at high volume if you know you are looking at the phone. (It’s terribly polite, do not you think?) You can disable these features separately via the Attentive features of attention option.
This section also allows you to choose what to use Face ID. If you do not feel comfortable with Face ID for Apple Pay, iTunes and App Store, automatic password compilation of Safari or third-party apps, you can disable one or all of those uses from here.
3. Create a better password, if you do not have it
Once activated Face ID (or Touch ID), the number of times you have to enter your passcode will be reduced drastically. It is, however, necessary to insert it after restarting the phone, after a long period of inactivity or after an authentication error with Face ID. Since the number of times you enter it will be significantly lower, you should increase security by switching from a single-digit password to a letter and number.
To do so, enter the Face ID and passcode section of the Settings app and tap Change password. You will be asked to enter a new passcode. Tap Passcode Options and choose Custom Alphanumeric Code. After entering a password, the keyboard prompt (instead of a numeric keypad) will be displayed each time you need to enter the passcode. Yes, it will take a little longer, but it is much safer than a password based on digits, and with Face ID you will not need to enter it very often.
Using Face ID
Using Face ID is very easy, once set up, there is very little that can give you in terms of suggestions. You should be able to pick up your phone and watch it, and see the lock icon at the top of the lock screen that you unlock as you watch.
Even better, if you’re going to unlock the phone (instead of watching notifications on the lock screen), just pick up the phone and lift your finger from the bottom of the screen. You can perform this gesture before Face ID completes the scan of your face, the iPhone is smart enough to know that you want to open the phone as soon as the scan is complete.
So was it very simple to configure Face ID on your iPhone X with the help of this guide?