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Apple has rolled out iOS 15.4 beta for developers and with it comes a useful new feature that allows Face ID to unlock the iPhone even if its user got their mask on, although you do need an iPhone 12 or newer to enable it.

Currently, iPhones require you to take your mask off to use Face ID, which isn’t convenient at all when you are outside in the age of the pandemic. Apple does offer a workaround in the form of the Apple Watch, which lets users unlock the iPhone even when wearing a mask or sunglasses, but that is obviously not an option for everyone.

The new option on iOS 15.4 beta now aims to address this shortcoming (via MacRumors).

face id with mask feature
Image: MacRumors

“Face ID is most accurate when it’s set up for full-face recognition only. To use Face ID while wearing a mask, iPhone can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate,” a warning within the page for enabling the new “Face ID with a Mask” feature reads.

Obviously, Face ID is at its best when full-face authentication is used, but while Face ID with a Mask may be a bit less secure, it does fix a major inconvenience. Another perk is that unlike Face ID with Apple Watch, the mask version can also be used to authenticate third-party apps.

Do keep in mind here, though, that Face ID still requires you to take your sunglasses off. You will still be better off removing your sunglasses than your mask in public, so there’s that. Hopefully, Apple with time will also make Face ID accurate enough to work with sunglasses as well, with little to no compromise on security.

It would also be great if “Face ID with a Mask” is added to older iPhones as it currently only supports the iPhone 12‌, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max or an iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, or 13 Pro Max. The reason for this limitation isn’t clear at the moment.

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