Apple promises you'll love Face ID once you try it

There are two big changes coming with the iPhone X - that sharp, bezel-free, OLED display, and the fact you need to unlock it with your face rather than your fingerprint. Questions have been raised about just how well that Face ID system is going to work, but Apple is promising people will soon grow to love it.

Speaking to TechCrunch and John Gruber's Talk Show, Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi answered a few questions on how Face ID works and why it's an upgrade over Touch ID. He confirmed that you can squeeze your phone to disable Face ID if needed, and said once people get to try the tech, their doubts will fade away.

"We're just all counting the days that customers can finally get their hands on these," says Federighi. "Because I think just like with Touch ID, initially people thought oh, 'Apple's done something that's totally not going to work and I'm not a believer and I'm not gonna use this feature.' Now everyone's worried because they can't imagine life without Touch ID. We're going to see exactly the same thing with Face ID."

Touch ID, shades and privacy

The Apple exec also confirmed that Face ID will be the future of biometric authentication on the company's phones - which sounds like a return for Touch ID is unlikely - although he did admit there are certain situations where a combination of unlock methods make sense from a security perspective.

Most types of sunglasses will work with Face ID, Federighi says, and he explained that Apple added the swipe up gesture to the unlock process to give users time to check their notifications before getting into their apps.

Federighi was also keen to emphasize that Apple doesn't store any data on your face and so can't pass it over to law enforcement agencies - as with Touch ID, everything is saved securely on your phone. What's more, not using Face ID for 48 hours or five failed attempts to unlock will disable the feature (which is what happened in Apple's on-stage demo of the tech on Tuesday).

TOPICS
David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

Latest in iPhone
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
The latest iPhone 17 Pro Max leak may have given us another look at its upcoming redesign
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
New iPhone 17 Air leak may have revealed some key specs – and how it compares to the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 16 Review
Three iPhone 17 model dummy units appear in a hands-on video leak
Apple iPhone 16 Plus Review
iPhone 17 Air leaks suggest it'll get next-gen battery – and offset the 17 Pro Max's weight gains
Two hands holding the Tecno Spark Slim phone
The world’s thinnest phone was just revealed, but a new iPhone 17 Air leak suggests it could be even slimmer
Apple iPhone 16e on blue background
This week's best Apple iPhone 16e deals: where to get the latest iPhone for cheap
Latest in News
Image showing detail of the Leica D-Lux 8
Still can't get a Fujifilm X100VI? This premium Leica compact costs less, and it's in stock
Man using iMessage on an iPhone
Apple will finally enable encrypted RCS messages between iOS and Android, and it's about time
Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso pointing at someone in Ted Lasso season 2
Believe it, baby: Ted Lasso season 4 is officially in development for Apple TV+ and Jason Sudeikis will reprise his role as the titular soccer coach
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #1146)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #377)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, March 15 (game #643)