- If Face ID is not working on your iPhone Air, start by making sure it’s enabled in Settings for any features you want it to unlock.
- You can create a second appearance in Face ID so it has an easier time recognizing you.
- Ensure the camera isn’t blocked, but if your face is blocked (with a mask for example), you need to enable Use Face ID with a Mask feature before you can unlock your device with Face ID.
For many iPhone Air owners, Face ID is nothing short of a revelation — it lets you log into your iPhone, various apps and services, and even make safe and secure purchases without any effort beyond looking at your phone. Of course, Face ID isn’t without its shortcomings, and it can occasionally fail to work properly, failing to unlock whatever you were trying to access. Thankfully, it’s also easy to troubleshoot.
When Does Face ID Become Unavailable?
Before going straight to the fixes, Face ID will temporarily stop working on the iPhone Air in these situations:
- The device has just been turned on or restarted.
- The iPhone Air hasn’t been unlocked for more than 48 hours.
- The passcode hasn’t been used to unlock the iPhone Air in the last six and a half days and Face ID hasn’t unlocked the device in the last 4 hours.
- The iPhone Air has received a remote lock command.
- After five unsuccessful attempts to match a face.
- After initiating power off or Emergency SOS by pressing and holding either volume button and the side button simultaneously for 2 seconds.
What to do if Face ID isn’t working on your iPhone Air
If Face ID is not working on your iPhone Air, try fixing it using these troubleshooting tips.
Make sure Face ID is turned on
If Face ID doesn’t seem to work on your iPhone Air, the problem might be an easy fix; either it was never enabled, or Face ID was recently disabled for the app or feature you’re trying to unlock. Here’s how to check:
- Open the Settings app and then tap Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Make sure that Face ID is turned on for the feature you’re trying to unlock. In addition to iPhone Unlock, you can also use Face ID on iTunes & App Store, Contactless & Payments, Password AutoFill and any third-party apps that support Face ID.
Set up an alternate appearance
Face ID automatically adapts to changes in your appearance, such as wearing cosmetic makeup or growing facial hair. If your appearance changes radically on occasion, though, you might need to assist Face ID by setting up an alternate appearance.
- Open the Settings app and then tap Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Tap Set Up an Alternate Appearance.
- Follow the instructions to let Face ID learn your face and save it as a secondary appearance.
Make sure your Face ID camera isn’t blocked
Face ID makes use of a camera system Apple calls TrueDepth. It’s actually composed of several components including a dot projector that illuminates your face with more than 30,000 tiny infrared dots as well as an infrared camera that detects those dots.
Because those components are spread out across the TrueDepth camera on the iPhone Air, the TrueDepth camera needs to have a clear and undisturbed view of your face. Make sure that the TrueDepth camera is clean and not covered or blocked by a case or any other sort of obstacle.
Don’t cover your face and look at the camera
In the same way that it’s important not to block the Face ID’s camera, you should make sure nothing is covering your face when you need Face ID to work on your iPhone Air. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Face ID generally works whether or not you’re wearing glasses. There are certain kinds of sunglasses that can interfere with Face ID, so if you find it doesn’t work with glasses on, try taking the glasses off and using Face ID again.
- Your eyes, nose, and mouth need to be unobstructed in order for Face ID to work.
- 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. You must be looking at your iPhone to use Face ID while wearing a mask. To use Face ID while wearing a mask, first enable the feature by going to Settings ⇒ Face ID & Passcode.
- Face ID works best when the device is arm’s length or less from your face (25–50 cm away from your face).
Make sure your iPhone Air is up to date
An iOS bug may cause your iPhone Air Face ID to stop working properly. To fix this, update your iPhone Air to the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings ⇒ General ⇒ Software Update. If a new update is available, install it.
Restart your iPhone Air to reboot Face ID
A restart may be all what you need to fix your iPhone Air Face ID problem. Go to Settings ⇒ General ⇒ Shut Down. Drag the power slider from left to right to shut down your iPhone. Wait a few seconds, then press the side button to turn your iPhone back on.
Face ID should now start working on your iPhone Air. But for security reasons, you must enter your passcode to re-enable Face ID after a restart.
Reset Face ID
As a last resort, you can completely reset Face ID and set it up a second time. This isn’t as onerous as it sounds, because it only takes a few moments to configure Face ID. Do this:
- Open the Settings app and then tap Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- Tap Reset Face ID.
- Follow the instructions to set up Face ID a second time.
If you follow each of these troubleshooting steps and Face ID still does not work on your iPhone Air, you may have a hardware problem with your device that requires servicing. You should reach out to Apple Support.
