iPhone Face ID Not Woking/Not Available? 10 Quick Fixes Here

My iPhone Face ID keeps saying move iPhone lower!

Face ID is the primary way to unlock iPhone X and later iOS models. The goal is to make unlocking your phone easier and faster, and users only need to glance at the device to wake the iPhone from a locked state. With the popularity of Face ID, it is also used for payment verification, download confirmation, and more.

Many users said that iOS 16 Face ID not working caused them a lot of trouble. Rest assured, reading this article can help you solve the problem smoothly.

Why my Face Unlock is not working?

Before fixing the issue, you can learn what might be causing Face ID is not available on iPhone X and other iOS devices. Suit the remedy to the case can help you solve the Face ID error more easily.

• After updating the iOS version, you need to enter the device passcode to unlock the iPhone first instead of using Face ID.
• The current app is not authorized to use Face ID to access information and perform other operations.
• There are objects obscuring the camera, which may be imperceptible dust or debris.
• The TrueDepth camera on your iPhone may have been damaged.
• An internal issue with the app prevents the iPhone from using the TrueDepth camera.
• The appearance of your face may have changed during the time that iOS was being updated.

10 Fixes to iPhone Face ID not working

No matter what reason you can't use Face ID, you can find effective ways to fix Face ID not working on iPhone in this section.

Fix 1. Check the iOS update

In addition to adding new features, the iOS update will also fix some bugs in previous versions, which may include the Apple iPhone Face ID not working error. Therefore, we recommend that you update to the latest version of iOS to see if Face ID can return to normal.

Step 1. Open Settings on your iPhone, then go to General and select the Software Update option to see if a new version of iOS is available.

Step 2. If there is an updatable version, tap Install Now and wait for the iOS update to finish.

❀ Tip: To avoid interruption of the process, it is best to plug your iPhone into a power source.

Step 3. After completing the update, enter the passcode to unlock your iPhone before trying if Face ID is available.

If iPhone Face ID is not working after update, you can continue to try the following methods.

Fix 2. Make sure the Face ID is turn on

If your Face ID setting is turned off or never turned on, then you won't be able to use Face ID on your iPhone. You can confirm by following the steps below.

Step 1. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode on your iPhone. If there is a Reset Face ID option, it means that you have already set up Face ID. If it is not set, follow the instructions.

Step 2. Make sure you have turned on permissions for iPhone Unlock, iTunes & App Store, Wallet & Apple Pay, and Password AutoFil.

Fix 3. Enable Face ID permission for third-party apps

Some apps such as third-party banks, payments, instant messaging, etc. use Face ID for login authentication, but you may have refused permission to use Face ID in the past. You can turn the Face ID permission on third-party apps to fix iPhone Notes Face ID not working.

Step 1. Go to Settings, scroll through the page, and view related third-party apps.

Step 2. You can check to see if they have the Face ID switch turned on.

Fix 4. Make sure the camera and your face are not blocked

There may be things you can't notice that obscure the camera, such as dust, and powder. You'd better clean up around the front-facing camera and make sure your screen protector or phone case isn't blocking the TrueDepth camera.

Besides, we recommend that you remove all objects that cover your eyes, nose, or mouth, such as sunglasses, hats, etc. Their occlusion will make Face ID not work.

Fix 5. Check Lighting Conditions

The lighting conditions of your location are also an important factor in determining whether Face ID is available. If it is too bright or too dark, it will affect the recognition of faces by the camera and sensors on the iPhone. You can move into a room with plenty of natural light and try facial recognition again.

Fix 6. Set up a Face ID alternate appearance

If you need to wear glasses a lot, or plan to grow a beard, these ways will cause you to look different from what you originally set up on Face ID. If your Apple Face ID not working, set an alternative appearance to help Face ID better identify it.

Step 1. Go to Settings and choose the Face ID & Passcode option, and continue to use your password for verification.

Step 2. Tap the Set Up an Alternate Appearance option, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the next steps.

Fix 7. Restart your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone or iPad can often quickly fix minor issues, including ”Face ID is not available try again later”. If your iPhone is malfunctioning, try restarting your device.

Step 1. You'll need to press and hold your iPhone's side button and either volume key at the same time until a slider appears that says Slide to power off.

Step 2. Then slide the circle from left to right to turn off your iPhone.

Step 3. Then press and hold the side button and wait for the Apple logo to appear on the screen, and check whether the iPhone 13 pro Face ID not working error still exists after booting.

Fix 8. Reset Face ID

It's also possible that your appearance has changed or there is an error in the Face ID feature that causes iPhone x Face ID not working after screen replacement. An effective way is to reset your Face ID, and you need to follow the steps below.

Step 1. Go to Settings of your iPhone, and click the Face ID & Passcode option.

Step 2. Tap the Reset Face ID button, and then restart your device.

Step 3. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Face ID setup process.

Fix 9. Reset all iPhone settings

Resetting all iPhone settings restores settings that have been changed or added to their default values, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN, etc., without deleting your personal data such as photos, apps, music, etc. If the Face ID feature on your iPhone doesn't work, resetting all settings may fix the problem.

Step 1. Open your iPhone and go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.

Step 2. Then reset your Face ID and check to see if it is now available.

Fix 10. Contact Apple Support

If you can't get Face ID working again through the above methods, then the problem may be caused by a more complex problem. There may be a malfunction in the internal hardware of your device, or the TrueDepth camera may have been hit. We recommend that you contact the Apple support team.

You can choose to describe the specific problem to a professional team online, or take the phone to Apple Service to check the problem, and fix the Face ID error after repair.

Bonus tip: Back up iPhone in advance to prevent data loss

As we said above, the unusable Face ID on your iPhone can be caused by a complex error, so your phone may be at risk of losing data at any time. We strongly recommend that you can use a professional iPhone backup tool - FoneTool to backup data on iPhone to a safer location in advance before doing iPhone repair.

Compared with backup methods such as iCloud and iTunes, backing up data with FoneTool will be more stable and you don't have to worry about running out of space on your computer. It also has several highlights that outperform other backup methods:

Multiple backup methods: You can back up all data on iPhone or selectively back up items like photos, contacts, etc.

Preview and select: iTunes only allows backing up the entire iPhone, users cannot select and preview the files to backup, while FoneTool provides the ability to preview and select files during the backup and restore process.

Alternate restore: You can restore a backup to a different Apple device, even with a different Apple ID.

High compatibility: FoneTool is perfectly compatible with all iOS devices, as well as supports all iOS and iPadOS.

Download free FoneTool now, connect your iPhone to your computer, and try to back up all your important data.

Step 1. Launch FoneTool on your desktop, and click on the Phone Backup tab in the left pane. Select the Full Backup option and click Get Started.

Step 2. Toggle the button to enable backup encryption, which protects your private data such as health data, activity, and more.

Step 3. Determine your backup storage path and click Start Backup.

❀ Tip: If you only want to backup some data on your iPhone, such as photos, music, videos, messages, etc., you can choose the Selective Backup option and back up the files you need to back up.

Wrapping things up

If you encounter the iPhone Face ID not working problem, try the above 10 solutions to fix it. We've also provided you with some of the main reasons why Face ID won't work so you can solve the problem efficiently. Besides, to make sure that the data in iPhone is lost during the repair process or due to other errors, we strongly recommend you to use a professional iPhone backup and transfer tool - FoneTool to back up your iPhone.