Face ID is Not Working? Fixes Here

Face ID is not working on your iPhone? Don't worry. The following guide will explain why this happens to you and show you Six proven solutions to fix this problem quickly.

Why Is My Face ID Not Working?

Many reasons can be responsible for the problem "Face ID is not working," some of which include:

Wrong Face ID settings.
Disallow Face ID permission for third-party apps.
The Face ID sensor is not clean.
iPhone can't recognize your face if you're wearing a mask or clothing.
You're holding your iPhone incorrectly.
Something goes wrong with your system.

Once we figure out why Face ID is not working, it is easy to find solutions. So, here's what you should do.

How to Fix iPhone Face ID Is Not Working If You Know the Screen Passcode

The following guide covers almost all possible solutions to the "Face ID not working" problem. It's hard to say which works best because that depends on the cause. If you don't know what happens to your Face ID, then you have to try them out to see which works for you.

1. Check if the TruDepth camera is covered

Go to check if something is covering the TrueDepth camera. You may accidentally cover the camera with your finger, palm, or screen protector. If this is the cause, an easy way to fix this is to remove your finger, screen protector, or palm.

2. Check if your face is blocked

Face ID doesn't work if anything is covering your mouth and nose. If you're wearing a face mask and have already set up a Face ID with a mask, you need to make sure your eyes aren't blocked. ( You can set up a Face ID with a mask on iPhone 12 and later running iOS 15.4 and later.) If you're wearing a mask, you should hold your iPhone higher so your camera can recognize your eyes.

3. Reset Face ID on your iPhone

Like resting iPhone, resetting your Face ID wipes all data related to your Face ID, thus clearing bugs and glitches. After that, you can create a new Face ID on your iPhone. To do this, you need to get into your iPhone with your iPhone passcode and go to Settings. If you can't remember your iPhone passcode, see how to get into an iPhone without a passcode. Then, you can go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, then enter your passcode. Make sure the toggle next to "iPhone Unlock," "iTunes & Apple Store," "Wallet & Apple Pay," and "Password AutoFill is ON, and then tap "Reset Face ID."

Immediately, all your Face ID data will be deleted, and then you can unlock your iPhone with the passcode and go to Settings to set up a new Face ID.

Reset Face ID

4. Restart your iPhone

If the Face ID still doesn't work after resetting, you can try restarting your iPhone. A simple restart can give your iPhone a fresh restart and then take the iPhone back to normal. The steps may vary depending on your iPhone model, so you can refer to Apple's guide to restart your iPhone.

5. Add an alternate appearance

You can set up a new appearance to help Face ID recognize you. You can wear glasses, change a hairstyle, or change your appearance to look very different. Then, you can go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, and then enter your iPhone passcode. Tap "Set Up an Alternate Appearance" and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.

6. Update your iPhone to the latest version

Whenever Apple rolls out a new update, it will fix some bugs and glitches. So, you can try to update your iPhone or iPad to the latest iOS or iPadOS. Also, ensure that your iPhone or iPad model supports Face ID.

How to Fix Face ID is Not Working Without iPhone Passcode

Under normal conditions, you can access your iPhone or iPad with an iPhone passcode if the Face ID is not working. However, there are some special conditions where you don't know the iPhone passcode and can't access your device. In that case, you can consider using this iPhone unlocker tool - Qiling MobiUnlock, to remove Face ID without the passcode. In addition to Face ID, it also works to fix iPhone flashing Apple logo, remove the Screen Time passcode, or Bypass Apple ID. For more capabilities of Qiling MobiUnloc, you can refer to the following list:

Unlock all iPhone screen locks, including 4-/6- digital code, Touch ID, or Face ID
Remove Activation Lock without Apple ID
Remove Apple ID without the password
Unlock Screen Time passcode
Remove iTunes backup encryption
View and export the iPhone passcode

To Remove Face ID from your iPhone or iPad:

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 1. Download and open Qiling MobiUnlock, and then select "Unlock Screen Passcode."

Step 2. Connect the iPhone to the computer and click "Start" to go on.

Step 3. Check your device model and click "Next" to download the latest version of firmware for your device. If the firmware has been downloaded already, select the package manually.

Step 4. After you download or select the firmware, click "Unlock Now." Then, a now window will pop up to let you enter the information, just do as it requires and click "Unlock" again to remove your iPhone password.

Step 5. Wait for the process to finish. Afterward, you iPhone will be reset and the password will be removed.

The Final Words

Now you've got all solutions to fix the Face ID is not working issue. If you know the real cause of this problem, you can quickly locate the solution. While if you don't know the real reason, you have to try the solutions one by one to see which one works best for you. People who can't remember their iPhone passcode can use Qiling MobiUnlock to remove Face ID with one click.

Face ID FAQs

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about Face ID. You can read them to learn more about Face ID so that you can easily handle problems.

1. How to fix the TrueDepth camera not working?

If you're facing a problem with the TrueDepth camera of your iPhone or iPad, you can try the following solutions.

Enable the Airplane mode for about 30 seconds and disable it.
Update your iPhone or iPad to the latest iOS version.
Reset Face ID while in Airplane mode. You can go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Face ID > Delete Face ID. Then, go to restart your iPhone and put your device in Airplane mode. Finally, set up your Face ID again.
Reset iPhone settings by going to Settings > General > Reset iPhone > Reset All Settings. Confirm your choice, enter your passcode, and tap "Reset All Settings."

2. How do you fix Face ID on an iPhone when it keeps saying "move phone higher" and "move phone lower"?

If the camera can't recognize your face correctly, it will report errors like "move phone higher" and "move phone lower." To fix this problem, you can check if something is covering your camera or your face is blocked. Moreover, you can also go to restart your device or update your device system to the latest version. If none of the solutions works, try to reset your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.