Not Apple’s fault at all, but any chance they could roll out an update to Face ID to accommodate when I’m wearing a mask outside? Oh man, for the first time since I got my iPhone X, I’m really, really missing Touch ID!
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Are you aware of the “Setup Alternate Appearance” button in the Face ID & Passcode settings?
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Oho. Same problem here. Hope that works. I’ll try it before my next supermarket run!
Yes! I tried, but my face was too obscured - which of course makes sense!
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Oh. That’s a bummer. I was hoping it would work!
Yup. I was thinking that hypothetical “under the screen Touch ID” thing can’t come soon enough now.
One day soon someone will offer custom printed facemarks with the part of the face that is covered printed on it. With a smile of course 
My second Face ID is for my wife so that’s not an option. Since I keep the grocery list on my phone it’s a real pain at the store.
Agree to all. Yes, I should be using my phone less, but I’m just not programmed that way. Instead, I’m hand sanitizing and wiping down the iPhone with Clorox wipes. What has become of me?!?!?
Hrm. Where are you getting your info from? The New England Journal of Medicine says 72 hours on steel or plastic:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973?query=featured_home
Be careful assuming that a mask will protect you, all. It isn’t perfect. Many people who wear masks fail to follow safe protocols when removing it or adjust it as they wear it, which might actually increase risk if your hands have come into contact with coronavirus.
And from my understanding the “surgical mask” style masks (i.e. not the N95s) don’t really protect you as much as they protect you from transmitting things to other people.
If you’re actually in contact with the virus, the actual protection is the N95s. And they have to make a complete face seal to be maximally effective (i.e. no beards 
)
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Aye, that’s right. N95s are really important for people likely to be directly exposed to aerosolizing procedures (i.e., front line workers, like doctors doing intubations). Even doctors don’t use N95s when providing routine care (a surgical mask with a face shield is plenty).
For the rest of us the idea is to limit our respiratory droplets, i.e., by keeping our noses and mouths covered with a simple mask.
I only wear a mask at the supermarket (and some critical areas at work), so not an issue. Other than that: washing hands and regular hand rubs is enough.
Alas, “Setup Alternate Appearance” doesn’t work with an N95 face mask; I tried it this morning and it said my face was covered and I should uncover it and try again. “I know my face is covered,” I told the phone. “That’s the POINT.”
Joanna Stern has more, including tips from doctors and other medical professionals who’ve been living with this for years.
I have been unable to find official documentation from Apple on whether alternate appearance is supposed to work with protective masks.
Another recommendation for getting around this from 9to5mac
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I’ve been dealing with this since late January and it’s driving me bonkers. Almost thinking of getting an iPhone 8 just to get over this!
Wasn’t the latest iOS update supposed to solve this problem?
No, it just made the lock screen jump to passcode entry faster after failing to unlock with a mask on.
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Yes, but that said, it is helpful. it’s like having FaceID turned off when I’m wearing a mask, which is way better than waiting for my face to not be recognized.
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For sure. I think it’s a great compromise—better than dropping the security of FaceID!
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