Today, biometric technology has become prevalent. According to a recent survey, four out of every ten people use facial recognition at least once daily on their smartphone. Millions of people unlock their iPhones with the built-in facial recognition feature, Face ID. However, this biometric technology is inaccurate, especially after Apple introduced the ability to unlock Face ID with a mask. This guide discusses whether you can unlock Face ID with a picture on your iPhone.

Part 1: How Does Face ID Work on iPhone

As mentioned previously, Face ID is Apple’s facial recognition technology. It scans your face, checks against the database, and grants or denies access to your iPhone or iPad. Compared to digit-passcode, Face ID lets you securely unlock your iOS device and authenticate purchases, apps, and more with just a glance.

Since the iPhone X, Apple added a TrueDepth image system to build a 3D representation of your face. iOS detects your face with a flood illuminator, an infrared camera, and a dot projector. It is designed to work with hats, scarves, glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses. Face ID can even recognize faces with masks on iPhone 12 and later.

How to Set up Face ID on an iPhone

Step 1. Open your Settings app to unlock your iPhone with Face ID.

Step 2. Go to the Face ID & Passcode tab. When prompted, type your passcode.

Step 3. Then tap Set Up Face ID. If you have set up Face ID, tap Set Up Alternative Appearance.

Step 4. Tap the Get Started button to enter the Face ID scanning screen.

Step 5. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete scanning your face. On iPhone 12 or above, you can select Use Face ID with a Mask or Don’t Use Face ID with a Mask, depending on your need.

Step 6. Finally, tap the Done button. Go to the previous screen, and decide to use Face ID for iPhone Unlock, iTunes & App Store, Wallet & Apple Pay, or Password AutoFill.

Part 2: Can You Unlock iPhone with a Picture

Can you unlock Face ID with a photo? The short answer is no. Even if you use selfies, unlocking your iPhone Face ID is impossible. The TrueDepth camera, which is the key component of Face ID on iPhone X and newer, recognizes you by capturing accurate depth data and an infrared image. The information is matched against the stored mathematical representation to authenticate.

In other words, Face ID matches against depth information, which isn’t found in print or 2D digital pictures. Apple relies on this design to protect against spoofing by masks or other techniques through sophisticated anti-spoofing neural networks.

Moreover, Face ID cannot unlock your iOS device when:

Your device has just been turned on or restarted.

Your device hasn’t been unlocked for over 48 hours.

Face ID hasn’t unlocked your device in the last 4 hours.

Five unsuccessful attempts to match a face.

Your device has been locked remotely.

Initiating power off or Emergency SOS.

Part 3: Unlock iPhone Without Face ID and Passcode

Face ID cannot unlock an iPhone if locked for over 48 hours. If you forgot your passcode and Face ID cannot unlock your iPhone with a picture, you need a powerful unlocking application. From this point of view, we recommend Apeaksoft iOS Unlocker. It can unlock an iPhone without any restrictions.

How to Unlock an iPhone Without Face ID and Passcode

Step 1. Install iOS Unlocker

Launch the best iPhone unlocking software after you install it on your PC. There is another version for Mac. Plug your iPhone into your PC with a Lightning cable. The software will detect your device automatically. If prompted, tap Trust to trust your PC. Choose the Wipe Passcode mode, and click Start to continue.

Step 2. Check device information

Once your iPhone information is loaded, check them. If any item is wrong, click the Start button to download the necessary firmware package.

Step 3. Unlock your iPhone

When the download finishes, click the Unlock button. When prompted, type 0000 into the box and confirm the unlocking. This program also supports MDM bypass.

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