With Face ID you can securely unlock your new iPhone, sign in to apps, unlock your device, validate or authenticate purchases with a glance. This advanced security feature is embedded in selected iOS devices including the new iPhone 11 Pro. In case you’re having trouble using this feature on your new iPhone, I’ve lined up some simple solutions you can use to fix random firmware errors that caused Face ID to fail. Read on and get help with your iPhone 11 Pro Face ID that’s not working.
Troubleshooting Face ID authentication problems on an iPhone 11 Pro, Face ID not working
Before you start ruling out software-related factors, make sure that nothing is covering your face. One of the requirements to use Face ID is to ensure that your nose, eyes and mouth must be fully visible or captured by the TrueDepth camera of your phone. That said, wearing of sunglasses that could block the infrared light used by the TrueDepth camera is not recommended. While Face ID works with many other sunglasses, try not putting them on while troubleshooting Face ID problems on your iPhone 11 Pro. Another requirement is to ensure that you are facing the TrueDepth camera, just like when you take a selfie or make a FaceTime call. Your iPhone must be an arm’s length or closer from your face.
If you’ve met all the said requisites but still couldn’t get Face ID to work as intended, try the following procedures to rule out software-related impediments.
1st solution: Reboot your iPhone 11 Pro (soft reset).
Symptoms that are suddenly occurring are usually triggered by minor firmware issues including rogue apps and software glitches. To deal with these random symptoms, rebooting the phone is recommended. This is by far, the simplest yet very effective solutions to various types of system errors including Face ID authentication failure. Just follow these steps to soft reset or reboot your iPhone 11 Pro Max:
- Press and hold both theSide and Volume Up buttons for a few seconds.
- Release both buttons when theSlide to Power off bar appears.
- Swipe or drag the bar to turn your device off.
- After about 30 seconds, press and hold theSide button and then release when the Apple logo appears.
Wait for your phone to finish rebooting and then try using Face ID again to see if it is already working.
2nd solution: Check and manage Face ID settings on your iPhone 11 Pro.
Like many other iOS features, Face ID also must be enabled on your phone in order to work. To make sure the feature is enabled, check your iPhone settings with these steps:
- From the Home screen, tap Settings.
- SelectFace ID & Passcode.
- Make sure that the Face ID & Passcode switch is turned on. Otherwise, toggle to turn the feature ON.
If the Face ID switch is already turned on upon checking, toggle it to turn the feature OFF and then back on again. This should give a quick refresh to your phone’s Face ID authentication system.
3rd solution: Install new iOS update for your iPhone 11 Pro to fix Face ID that’s not working.
Software updates released by Apple are usually intended to fix widespread issues inflicted by stubborn system bugs. The latest version rolled out by Apple a few days ago is iOS 14.0.1. Here’s how to get started:
- From the Home screen, tap Settings.
- Select General.
- TapSoftware Update.
You will see a notification if a new iOS version is available for your iPhone 11 Pro. The latest iOS version released by Apple a few days ago is iOS version 14.0.1. If you see that update on your phone, download and install it to implement the latest bug fixes it embeds.
You can also use iTunes to manually check and update your iPhone on a computer. This can be a better option in case you will bump into some trouble updating your iPhone wirelessly or over-the-air.
4th solution: Reset Face ID and create a new Face ID appearance.
It is also possible that your Face ID data has been corrupted and this has resulted in Face ID authentication failure on your iPhone. If this is the case, then you will need to reset your Face ID and then create a new appearance. Here’s how it’s done:
- From the Home screen, tap Settings.
- SelectFace ID & Passcode.
- Then tap the option toReset Face ID.
Follow the rest of the onscreen prompts to erase all existing Face identification data on your device. When the reset is finished, continue with these steps to set up your Face ID information again:
- From the Home screen, tap Settings.
- SelectFace ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode, if prompted to continue.
- Then tap the option toSet Up Face ID.
- Be sure to keep your iPhone in proper position and distance to your face. Ideally, your device has to be in portrait orientation and your face must be positioned in front of your phone.
- Tap the option toGet Started, when everything is set.
- Position your face inside the given frame and then gently move your head to complete the circle. You can useAccessibility Options in case you cannot move your head.
- After completing the first Face ID scan, tapContinue to begin the next scan.
- Gently move your head again to complete the circle.
- When the scan is complete, tap Done.
Restart or soft reset your iPhone after successfully creating a new Face ID appearance and then try to see if you can now unlock your device or do other stuff requiring Face ID authentication.
5th solution: Reset all settings to fix your iPhone 11 Pro Face ID that’s not working.
Other factors you should eliminate are incorrect settings or invalid system configuration on your device. These settings can likewise cause conflicts to the Face ID authentication system directly or indirectly. As a result, Face ID stops working as it should. If you wish to take a chance in this reset, then you may do so through these steps:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down and tap on Reset.
- TapReset All Settings from the given options.
- Enter your passcode if prompted to continue.
- Confirm action by tapping onReset All Settings again.
All system settings and personal preferences will be removed afterwards. When the reset is finished, your iPhone reboots by itself and then loads up the default system values and options. To use necessary features, particularly those that are disabled by default, you will need to re-enable them individually. And that also applies to your phone’s Face ID feature.
Last resort: Erase your iPhone and set everything up as new.
Performing a factory reset or master reset can be deemed among the last options if none of the previous methods is able to fix the problem. This will erase everything from your iPhone system including complex system errors that might have ruined the Face ID authentication system on your device. But before you proceed, be sure to back up all critical data saved on your iPhone storage as they will likewise be deleted in the process. You can back up your iPhone data to iCloud or iTunes in a computer. Once you have secured your backup file, you may begin erasing your iPhone 11 Pro using these steps:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down and tap on Reset.
- TapErase all content and settings from the given options.
- Enter your passcode if prompted to continue.
- Confirm action by tapping the option to erase and reset your iPhone.
You can also use iTunes to manually erase and restore factory default settings on your iPhone through a computer. This would be a better option if you prefer to back up your iPhone data straight to your computer via iTunes. Just secure a computer (either Mac or Windows) with the latest version of iTunes software in it.
Final
Is your iPhone 11 Pro Face ID still not working?
If none of the aforementioned solutions worked and you still cannot use Face ID on your iPhone 11 Pro, you can escalate the problem to Apple Support for further assistance and recommendations. In the meantime, you can use other alternative authentication options like your device passcode or Apple ID instead of Face ID.
If it appears to be a post-update Face ID bug, then you may have some chances of resolving the problem through an iOS restore in iTunes.
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