Paul Morris·

How To Get Face ID To Unlock iPhone X When It’s Sitting Flat On Table

Apple’s iPhone X is now in worldwide use in multiple countries. The early success of the hardware has meant that any prospective owners will need to wait a minimum of 3-4 weeks before they can get a delivery, but it also means that Apple clearly has yet another hardware success on its hands.

The device is beautiful, but it’s the existence of the TrueDepth camera system and the Face ID feature that it powers which has really captured the imagination of the people. However, some people are reporting issues where they can’t actually get Face ID to accurately detect their face when it’s lying on a flat surface.

With Touch ID on older iOS devices, you really knew where you were. Regardless of the device position, you could supply a fingerprint and it would likely unlock the device. This is because the Touch ID setup process forced the user to provide a fingerprint from multiple different angles and showed the user how to change the position of the finger. In the case of face recognition, Apple did show in one of the marketing videos (pictured above) for iPhone X that Face ID should work when lying flat on a surface. So why do most people seem to have issues working in that position? Well as it turns out, for this to work, you need to ensure that Face ID captures the face from the right angle for a flat surface detection during setup process. Here’s how you can do that:

Step 1: This may seem like a radical solution to an infrequently faced problem but it’s a necessary one to achieve total Face ID harmony. You will need to reset Face ID and start again, which means you need to be in the Settings.app.

Step 2: Navigate to the Face ID & Passcode section. When you are prompted to enter your Passcode for the device, make sure that you provide it correctly.

Step 3: Now, you are going to need to select the Reset Face ID option. Yes, this will reset your Face ID on the device, but it also gives you an opportunity to rebuild from the start.

Step 4: Now, you are going to need to go through the process of setting up Face ID again, just like you did when you first got the device out of the box. However, this time around, make sure to actually hold iPhone X at waist-height facing up to your face when rotating your head and allowing the setup guide to capture your features and create its composite image of you. This will give it the correct angles needed to unlock the device when on a flat surface.

That’s all there is to it. Super simple no?

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