Now that the sun is out, you might be wearing your sunglasses and wondering why your iPhone won’t unlock. If you’re tired of having to take off your sunglasses every time you need to unlock your iPhone, here’s what you can do to speed up the process.
The reason Face ID won’t unlock your iPhone is because it can’t verify that you’re looking at the phone. Face ID normally only unlocks the phone when you’re looking at it. This way, it gives you greater security because someone can’t just hold your phone up to your face to unlock it without your permission, it won’t unlock just sitting on your desk next to you, and it can’t be unlocked while you’re unconscious or asleep.
However, you can set your iPhone to unlock even if it can’t detect that you’re looking at it. If you want your phone to unlock without detecting what your eyes are doing, here’s what you need to do.
How to Make Face ID Work with Sunglasses
Luckily, there’s a simple setting that makes it much easier for Face ID to recognize your face when you’re wearing your favorite sunglasses (even if it means losing a bit of security). Here’s how to do it.
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down to Face ID and passwordPress it.
- Enter your password.
- Scroll down to the toggle that says Requires special attention for Face ID and turn it off.
- Press OK.
That’s it! Face ID should now work when wearing most sunglasses. The upside is that turning off this requirement will make Face ID faster in general.
Here’s another issue you may have encountered while unlocking your iPhone: how to use Face ID to unlock iPhone while wearing a face mask. We also have a guide on how to fix Face ID issues.
What are the risks of attention deactivation?
The above option comes with a warning that says: “The TrueDepth camera will provide an extra layer of security by verifying that you are looking at the iPhone before unlocking it. Some sunglasses may block attention detection.”
Basically, “attention” means that you’re looking directly at your iPhone with your eyes open. When attention detection is turned off, Face ID remains “secure” in the sense that your iPhone will only unlock if the TrueDepth sensors are sure they can see you, but it now also works if your eyes are closed.
This means that someone could force you to unlock your iPhone simply by holding it to your face, even if you close your eyes. Someone could even unlock your iPhone if you’re asleep. You’ll have to decide whether the risk is worth it.
Luckily, it’s easy to quickly disable Face ID to unlock your iPhone if you know you’re about to find yourself in a situation where it could cause problems. All you need to do is hold down the side button and either volume button at the same time for a few seconds. Anyone trying to access the phone after that will need to enter the passcode. For more detailed information, be sure to check out our dedicated guide on how to turn off Face ID.
