What to Do If Face ID Won’t Scan Your Face on IPhone X
Here’s a fix for a very specific problem with the iPhone X. If Face ID doesn’t work the first time, how can you get it to re-scan without picking up the phone or leaving the lock screen?
It may sound unimportant, but The Verge notes that leaving your phone on a desk or stand while you work can be a frustrating issue. Here’s how to fix this problem.
How to get Face ID to re-scan (and why it matters)
This whole problem boils down to how notifications work on the iPhone X. In the new smartphone, Apple has changed the default lock screen setting to hide all important information. You will see who the message came from and where it came from, but you won’t be able to read its contents until you unlock your device. This is great for protecting your privacy, but annoying in this particular situation.
If your iPhone X is on the table in front of you and a notification arrives, you are naturally looking at the phone. But if Face ID doesn’t work on the first try, there is no obvious way to try again. You can’t just turn away and look at the device. You have to either pick up the device or switch to another screen by swiping up before returning to the lock screen – both are time-consuming if you do this dozens of times a day.
Fortunately, the solution is incredibly simple. With a little help from Twitter, The Verge discovered that you can reactivate Face ID by swiping up from the lock screen, but not all the way. Pull the barbell up about a quarter of an inch and return it to its original position. This will prompt Face ID to try again, and this time you’ll be looking directly at the device, so (hopefully) it will work.