How to Enable Face ID on iPhone: Setup, Settings, and Fixes

To enable Face ID on an iPhone, open Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and tap Set Up Face ID. Hold the phone upright, tap Get Started, and move your head slowly in a circle for two scans. Tap Done when the second scan finishes. Setup takes about a minute.

Face ID is Apple’s face recognition feature. It uses the TrueDepth camera, the sensor group at the top of the screen, to recognize you. After setup, you can use it to unlock the iPhone, approve App Store purchases, pay with Apple Pay, and fill in saved passwords.

Contents

• Before you start
• How to set up Face ID
• Choose what Face ID can do
• Face ID with glasses, a mask, or a different look
• Why your iPhone still asks for the passcode
• Turn Face ID off for now or for good
• Face ID setup or recognition isn’t working
• FAQ

Applies to: iPhone models with Face ID running iOS 27 or iOS 26. The menu path has been the same for several iOS versions, so older versions look very similar. Steps checked against Apple’s documentation in October 2026.

Before you start

Check these four things first. Each one can stop setup.

1. Your iPhone supports Face ID. iPhone X and later models without a Home button have Face ID. iPhone SE models and any iPhone with a Home button use Touch ID instead, and you can’t add Face ID with a software update. To check your model, go to Settings > General > About and look at Model Name. Apple keeps a list of iPhone and iPad models that support Face ID.
2. You have a passcode. Face ID needs a passcode as a backup. If you don’t have one, your iPhone asks you to create one during setup. Pick one you’ll remember, because Face ID can’t get you in if you forget it.
3. The TrueDepth camera is clear. Wipe the top edge of the screen. Remove a case or screen protector that covers the camera area. On most models the camera sits in the notch or the Dynamic Island (the black pill-shaped area at the top). Apple notes that on iPhone 18 Pro models it sits at the top, toward the left corner.
4. Your face is uncovered and the light is good. Take off a mask, sunglasses, or a hat that hides your eyes. Clear prescription glasses are usually fine.

How to set up Face ID

Use these steps if you skipped Face ID when you first set up your iPhone, or if you reset it.

1. Open the Settings app (the gray gear icon) on the Home Screen.
2. Scroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode. Enter your passcode when asked. If you have no passcode yet, the iPhone asks you to create one.
3. Tap Set Up Face ID. An introduction screen appears.
4. Hold the iPhone upright (portrait orientation) about 10 to 20 inches from your face, then tap Get Started. A circular frame appears on the screen.
5. Position your face inside the frame. Slowly move your head in a circle until the ring around the frame fills in. If you can’t move your head, tap Accessibility Options. Apple says this option doesn’t need the full head movement but does need you to keep looking at the phone more steadily.
6. When the first scan finishes, tap Continue.
7. Move your head in a circle a second time until the ring fills again.
8. Tap Done. You return to the Face ID & Passcode screen, and the switches under Use Face ID For are now available.

Test it. Press the side button to lock the iPhone. Wake it, look at the screen, and watch the padlock icon at the top. When it opens, Face ID recognized you. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go to the Home Screen.

Choose what Face ID can do

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and look under Use Face ID For. Each switch decides whether Face ID can stand in for your passcode or password for that task.

Switch	What it allows when on
iPhone Unlock	Unlock the iPhone by looking at it, then swiping up
iTunes & App Store	Approve downloads and purchases in the App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple Books
Wallet & Apple Pay	Confirm Apple Pay payments in stores, in apps, and in Safari
Password AutoFill	Fill in saved user names and passwords in Safari and other apps
Other Apps	See and control which apps, such as banking apps, can use Face ID to sign you in

The exact switch names can differ slightly between iOS versions. Turning a switch off doesn’t delete your face data. You just type your passcode or password for that task instead.

How to pay with Face ID. To use your default card in a store, double-click the side button, glance at the iPhone, then hold the top of the iPhone near the reader until you see Done and a checkmark. In the App Store, double-click the side button when asked to pay, then glance at the screen. Apple says you might be asked for your Apple Account password on your first purchase. Apple Pay must already be set up in the Wallet app. For the full checkout steps, and how businesses accept these taps, see how to use Tap to Pay on iPhone.

If an app doesn’t offer Face ID, sign in to it once with your password. Many apps then offer Face ID in their own security or privacy settings. If an app is listed under Other Apps with its switch off, turn the switch on.

Face ID with glasses, a mask, or a different look

Glasses

Apple says Face ID works with many prescription and clear glasses. Sunglasses that block infrared light can stop it. If Face ID often fails while you wear your glasses, add an alternate appearance while wearing them (see below).

Face ID with a Mask

On iPhone 12 and later with iOS 15.4 or later, Face ID can recognize you while a mask covers your mouth and nose. It checks the area around your eyes instead.

1. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode.
2. Turn on Face ID with a Mask and follow the prompts to scan again.
3. If you wear glasses, tap Add Glasses and scan while wearing a clear pair (not sunglasses).

Two limits apply. Face ID with a mask works only in portrait orientation. And Apple says Face ID is most accurate when it’s set up for full-face recognition only, so leave this off if you rarely wear a mask. On older iPhones, an Apple Watch can unlock the iPhone while you wear a mask instead.

Alternate appearance

If your look can change a lot, for example with heavy makeup or a full beard you sometimes shave, add a second appearance. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, tap Set Up an Alternate Appearance, and do the two scans again with the other look. Face ID allows one main appearance and one alternate.

Face ID also adapts to gradual changes on its own. Apple says that for a large change, such as shaving a full beard, it asks for your passcode before it updates your face data.

Warning: The alternate appearance unlocks the iPhone for whoever scanned it. If you scan another person, they get full access to your phone, your saved passwords, and Apple Pay. Only do this for someone you’d trust with your unlocked phone.

Landscape orientation

On iPhone 13 models and later with iOS 16 or later, Face ID works when you hold the phone sideways. On earlier models, turn the iPhone upright to unlock. With Face ID with a Mask turned on, unlocking works only in portrait.

Why your iPhone still asks for the passcode

Face ID doesn’t replace your passcode. Apple lists these situations where the iPhone asks for the passcode even though Face ID is set up:

• The iPhone was just turned on or restarted.
• It hasn’t been unlocked for more than 48 hours.
• The passcode hasn’t been used to unlock it in the last six and a half days, and Face ID hasn’t unlocked it in the last 4 hours.
• It received a remote lock command, for example from Find My.
• Face ID failed to match a face five times in a row.
• You started to power it off or used Emergency SOS by holding a volume button and the side button for 2 seconds.

Seeing the passcode screen in these cases is normal. To learn what happens if you then type the wrong passcode too many times, see our guide to how many failed passcode attempts an iPhone allows.

Stolen Device Protection uses Face ID too. When it’s on and you’re away from familiar places such as home or work, some sensitive changes need Face ID instead of only the passcode, and some add a one-hour delay. You’ll find it in Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection. Apple explains it in About Stolen Device Protection for iPhone.

Turn Face ID off for now or for good

For now: Press and hold the side button and either volume button for 2 seconds. When the sliders appear, press the side button to lock the iPhone. The next unlock needs your passcode, and Face ID works again after that.

For one task: In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, turn off just the switch you don’t want, such as Password AutoFill.

Completely: In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, tap Reset Face ID. This deletes your face data. Your passcode, Apple Pay cards, and other settings stay the same. To use Face ID again, run the setup steps above.

Face ID setup or recognition isn’t working

Work through these fixes in order. They’re based on Apple’s Face ID help page.

Setup keeps asking you to move higher, lower, or closer. Hold the iPhone straight in front of your face in portrait, about 10 to 20 inches away (arm’s length or closer), and move your head more slowly. Make sure your eyes, nose, and mouth are fully visible.

Face ID fails often after setup.

1. Clean the top of the screen and remove anything covering the TrueDepth camera, including a case edge or a privacy screen protector.
2. In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, check that iPhone Unlock (or the feature you’re using) is turned on.
3. Look directly at the screen. If you wear sunglasses, try without them.
4. Add an alternate appearance if you often wear glasses or change your look.
5. Restart the iPhone, enter your passcode, and try again.
6. Update iOS in Settings > General > Software Update.
7. Reset Face ID in Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Reset Face ID, then set it up again.

Face ID only works when you stare at the screen. That’s the Require Attention for Face ID setting. It checks that your eyes are open and looking at the iPhone, which makes it harder for someone to unlock your phone while you’re asleep. Apple lets you turn it off in Settings > Accessibility > Face ID & Attention, mainly for people who can’t look straight at the screen. Turning it off makes Face ID less secure.

Setup never finishes, or you see a message that Face ID isn’t available. Restart the iPhone and try again. If setup keeps asking you to position your face without completing, or the TrueDepth camera doesn’t work, Apple says the iPhone needs service from a trained technician. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store.

FAQ

Can I set up Face ID without a passcode?

No. Face ID needs a passcode as a backup. If your iPhone has no passcode, it asks you to create one before you can set up Face ID.

Can two people use Face ID on one iPhone?

Face ID stores one main appearance and one alternate appearance. A second person can technically use the alternate slot, but that gives them full access to the phone, Apple Pay, and saved passwords.

Does Face ID work in the dark?

Yes. The TrueDepth camera uses invisible infrared light to read your face, so it works in a dark room. It still needs a clear view of your face.

Is my face data sent to Apple or saved in iCloud?

No. Apple says Face ID data is encrypted, stays on the iPhone, and isn’t backed up to iCloud or anywhere else. Apps that support Face ID only get a yes-or-no answer, not your face data. Resetting Face ID or erasing the iPhone deletes the data.

How secure is Face ID?

Apple puts the chance that a random person could unlock your iPhone with Face ID at less than 1 in 1,000,000. The odds are higher for twins, siblings who look like you, and children under 13. If that concerns you, Apple suggests using a passcode instead.

Why doesn’t my iPhone show the Face ID & Passcode menu?

If you see Touch ID & Passcode instead, your iPhone uses Touch ID and doesn’t have Face ID. If you can’t find either menu, use the search field in Settings and type “Face ID.”

Next steps

Once Face ID works, open Settings > Face ID & Passcode and decide which switches to keep on. If you want a stronger backup, consider a longer passcode. Our guide to using letters instead of numbers for an iPhone passcode shows how.