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For owners of Apple's newer iPhone models, Face ID does exactly what it says on the tin. You use your face to unlock your smartphone with minimal effort. And then came the coronavirus.
Face ID does not work with a breathing mask
Face ID will be updated in the next few days
With so many people wearing masks outside or at work, unlocking the phone with their face means taking the mask off. Not only is this annoying, but it also increases the risk of touching your face. And as we all already know, this is a known weak point for the virus.
Alternatively, you can wait until the device gives up attempting positive identification. At this point, the iPhone will ask you for your passcode instead.
Now Apple is finally making it easier to unlock your phone even when you're wearing a mask. In the latest iOS 13 beta, iPhone X, XS and 11 model owners can instantly swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the passcode option.
It's a quick and easy fix that's actually so self-evident that many are now wondering why Apple didn't include it in the first place. After all, face masks used to be a common sight during hay fever or flu season, for example.
The new function is currently in the testing phase. This iOS 13.5 version was released to developers on Wednesday April 29th and should be available to all users via an update soon.
With the new update, you will be able to skip Face ID stress-free
New tracking technology from Apple and Google
The beta version also includes the latest APIs. These are needed to include tracking technology in upcoming iPhone apps geared towards contact tracing. This can supposedly help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Data collected by contact tracing apps for iOS and Android is shared with local he alth authorities to make it easier for them to identify who who an infected person has come into contact with. Identified people will then be contacted and asked to stay home while they wait to see if they develop coronavirus symptoms. The opt-in system will be developed in partnership with Google and will use Bluetooth technology "with user privacy and security at the heart of the design".
Apple and Google work together to fight the spread of the coronavirus
