My iPhone asks for passcode with Face ID (2025)

scottymb

20 points

Annoyediphoneuser01

32 points

I got the same problem but it’s not every few days it every few hours some times less then an hour apart. Why the **** does facial recognition even exist when I’m forced to type a code more then I’m aloud to use facial recognition? My phone tells me to slide up to unlock phone then tells me I can’t use facial recognition that I have to manually type a password to activate facial recognition? This happens even after I JUST used my

Phone 5 mins ago yes my phone is fully up to date

Lori1311

8 points

jerrytollison

24 points

MCDean

5 points

The question I have not yet seen answered is - why? WHY?!? If I have not done any of those things listed. Simply put down my phone, picked it back up 15 minutes later and have to enter password. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Face ID is supposed to be more secure so why is it not working?

iPhone 13 Pro running iOS 17.3

ChickiD

8 points

I have a fully updated XR that makes me use my passcode 95% of the time instead of my Face ID. This is very annoying and I would like to know how to correct this problem please.

What is the point of Apple offering Face ID if they can not make it work?

ricardo jb

10 points

that's when Apple gets it wrong. A passcode or even a password is NOT more secure than a biometric id. In fact, if security is the main concern, they should implement multiple biometrics Ids (such as face Id and touch Id, or voice).

It's much harder to duplicate a person face than to crack a passcode, which for many users will be date of birth or name of their dog and yes, we do recommend they don't do that but they still do. There is no way to have an "easy to crack" face Id, it's something you are, not something you know, that's the difference.

Rkkben

15 points

Annoyediphoneuser01

32 points

i literally just unlocked my

phone with Face ID. Used my phone then put my phone down. Not even 1 mine later I grabbed my phone to make a call and it asked for a passcode to enable Face ID.. so why does Face ID just randomly disable for no reason. 1 minute Face ID works the next minute it disables its self? Whats the sense of having it in the first place when I have to type a code more often then I can use Face ID? It’s almost like out of every 10 attempts to use Face ID I need to use a passcode 7 times. People say apple reads these and attempts to make fixes…. But let’s be real.. this has been an ongoing problem for how long? And it still is a wide spread ongoing problem. Apple has released many updates here and there but non to correct this problem of even attempt to correct it. Every update apple sends out you can read what the up is for and what it effects.. yet most the updates have nothing to do with attempting to even try to fix this problem..

ricardo jb

10 points

The big issue here is that while Apple normally gets the user experience and logic right, it doesn't in this case.

A passcode is really a bad way to authenticate, even you could have an all numeric passcode which is easy to crack.

Face Id is supposed to be way more secure. Why switch to an archaic less secure method? I think Apple should rely on biometrics all the time, unless there is a problem with it or the user decides to use a passcode instead.

Being asked multiple times or too often if just a sub product of a badly designed workflow.

coryneee

9 points

I know the issue discussed was that Face ID is failing and prompting for a passcode too often; however, the fundamental issue is that it ever asks for a passcode at all.

If Face ID fails, that means someone else is trying to open your phone. That person should not have the option to try to put in a passcode. Either you’re the one unlocking your phone with your face or you’re not. If I choose to use Face ID, the phone should strictly rely on Face ID alone.

We should then be able to set up multiple users if we would like someone else to be able to unlock the phone too with Face ID. There is no point of Face ID option if it just gives the person who is not you, a passcode alternative.

There are other instances where Face ID is just lacking sense. For example, if you want to allow someone to use your phone so you allow them to know the passcode to unlock your phone, the method for opening private browsing tabs or the hidden album folder should be different than just the same passcode used to unlock the phone. At minimum, those items should rely strictly on Face ID so that only the owner of the phone is opening them.

Mac Jim ID

21,521 points

While other users have provided all the support articles about using Face ID and adjusting its settings which may well solve your problem, I just have a couple of tips that can affect recognition:

• Make sure no part of the notch on top is covered. While you may see the camera in the middle, on both sides of the notch are small sensors to measure depth and if they are obscured at all will fail the Face ID.
• Face ID constantly learns your face when if fails and you enter the passcode, so if someone else uses your phone a lot by entering your passcode, it can alter it enough where your face may not be recognized as easily.
• If another person uses your phone or you occasionally alter your look with glasses, scarves, piercings, or large makeup changes, create an Alternate photo to give Face ID a better chance of recognition. And if it is another person using your phone, you can add them as the Alternate photo.
• You may want to reset the Face ID photos, just to give it a fresh start and see how it goes from there. When setting the photo, hold the phone at the distance you would normally use to have it recognized. There is a little bit of leeway in the distance when setting it up.

rgbnite

9 points

bnadeau73

9 points

Same problem here. Passwords and passcodes are not as secure as biometrics. It makes little sense why a few failed biometric attempts would require a less secure method of authentication. This is especially annoying in the winter when I'm all bundled up and because I am wearing a neck gaiter pulled up like a face mask, facial recognition (even with the mask feature turned on) doesn't recognize me, resulting in the password/passcode requirement. Many times it's too cold/or one hand is full, so I am unable to take the glove off, thus I can't access my phone to do the things I needed to do.

This password/passcode backup for facial recognition should be configrable. Specifically, the method of backup should be a choice, e.g. continue to try facial recognition or enter password/passcode as a backup. Better yet, bring back fingerprint scanning, then one biometric could be the backup for the other.

Chattanoogan

25,592 points

The phone asks generally about once a week plus other situations. See list below:

The following security-sensitive operations always require entry of a passcode or password:

• Updating the software
• Erasing the device
• Viewing or changing passcode settings
• Installing configuration profiles
• Unlocking the Security & Privacy pane in System Preferences on Mac
• Unlocking the Users & Groups pane in System Preferences on Mac (if FileVault is turned on)

A passcode or password is also required if the device is in any of the following states:

• The device has just been turned on or restarted.
• The user has logged out of their Mac account (or hasn’t yet logged in).
• The user hasn’t unlocked their device for more than 48 hours.
• The user hasn’t used their passcode or password to unlock their device for 156 hours (six and a half days) and the user hasn’t used a biometric to unlock their device in 4 hours.
• The device has received a remote lock command.
• The user exited power off/Emergency SOS by pressing and holding either volume button and the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously for 2 seconds and then pressing Cancel.
• There were five unsuccessful biometric match attempts (though for usability, the device might offer entering a passcode or password instead of using biometrics after a smaller number of failures).

Ref:

Face ID, Touch ID, passcodes and passwords – Apple Support (AU)