Home / I want my iPhone to work better for me / Why Isn't Face ID Working on My iPhone?

Why Isn't Face ID Working on My iPhone?

Face ID occasionally asking for your passcode is normal security behavior — not a sign the sensor is failing.

You're probably here because Face ID worked yesterday and now it won't — or it keeps asking for your passcode, or it suddenly says it's not available. It's easy to jump to the worst case: the sensor broke, the phone needs repair, something's wrong with the hardware. Before any of that, it helps to separate two very different things: Face ID asking for your passcode (often normal) and Face ID being genuinely unavailable (worth a short checklist, not a panic).

Direct answer: being asked for your passcode occasionally is normal, and a true Face ID failure usually has a simple cause — rarely the hardware. Face ID is built to fall back to your passcode in routine situations (after a restart, after five failed attempts, when it isn't sure it's you). That's security working as designed, not the sensor breaking. If Face ID is genuinely unavailable or won't set up, Apple's checklist — update iOS, check Settings > Face ID & Passcode, make sure the TrueDepth camera isn't covered, and restart — resolves the vast majority of cases before any talk of repair. Only when the camera doesn't work at all and Face ID still can't be set up does service actually come into the picture.

First, figure out what actually happened

These all feel like "Face ID isn't working," but they're different situations with different answers:

A. It occasionally asks for your passcode. The phone unlocks with your face most of the time, but sometimes wants the passcode. This is usually normal security behavior, not a failure.
B. It keeps failing to recognize you. The face-scan attempt runs but doesn't unlock — often a setup detail: a covered camera, a change in appearance, distance or angle, or bright light.
C. It says Face ID is not available. The phone reports Face ID as unavailable in Settings > Face ID & Passcode, or on the Lock Screen — a different, more direct signal worth checking.
D. You can't set up Face ID at all. Setup fails partway, or Face ID and Passcode shows it disabled and won't let you re-enroll.
E. It started after a drop, water, or a screen repair. The timing is worth telling Apple Support about if it gets that far — but a drop or repair doesn't automatically mean the hardware is broken.

The single most useful question: does Face ID work most of the time, or has it stopped working entirely? Most of the time = situation A, which is normal. Stopped entirely = one of B–E, which is what the checklist below is for.

When Face ID asks for your passcode — that's often the point

Face ID is designed to fall back to your passcode in specific situations, and Apple documents them: after you restart the phone, after a few failed attempts in a row, when it hasn't seen your face recently, or when it's not confident it's really you. Each of these is the security system working, not the sensor failing. If your phone otherwise unlocks with your face all day, a passcode prompt now and then is expected behavior — the related guide on password prompts explains exactly why that happens and when a prompt is worth a second look.

Check the simple things first

Apple's own checklist for Face ID is short and worth following in order — each step is quick, and each resolves a real cause:

Update iOS. Settings > General > Software Update, and make sure your iPhone model supports Face ID at all (it does, unless it's a Home-button model — those use Touch ID).
Check the Face ID settings. Settings > Face ID & Passcode — confirm Face ID is actually set up, and that the features you're using it for (iPhone Unlock, App Store, Apple Pay, and so on) are toggled on.
Make sure the TrueDepth camera isn't covered. Remove anything in front of it — dust, a case, a screen protector. If the phone shows a "Camera covered" notice with an arrow pointing at the camera, that's exactly what's happening.
Make sure your face is fully visible. The TrueDepth camera needs to see your eyes, nose, and mouth. By default Face ID won't work if your mouth and nose are covered — a mask (even a configured "Face ID with a Mask" needs your eyes visible), a high collar, or a scarf can do it. Some sunglasses can also block the infrared light the camera uses; try without them.
Face the camera at the right distance. Keep the phone about an arm's length away (roughly 25–50 cm) and look at it directly. On iPhone 13 and later with iOS 16 or newer, Face ID also works in landscape; on older models it works in portrait.
Restart the phone. Turn it off and on, enter your passcode, and try Face ID again. Apple lists this as a normal step for a reason — it clears a surprising number of temporary states.
Add an alternate appearance. If your look changed a lot (new glasses, a beard, different hair), Face ID usually keeps learning — but you can add an alternate appearance in Settings > Face ID & Passcode to help it recognize you.

If none of those reveal the cause, the next official step is Reset Face ID: Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Reset Face ID, then Set Up Face ID again. A clean re-enroll fixes most persistent recognition problems.

If Face ID still doesn't work

If you've done the checklist and Face ID still can't be set up — especially if the camera itself isn't working at all and enrollment keeps failing — that's the point where this moves beyond the usual "recognition" territory. That doesn't mean it's definitely broken; it means it's worth having checked. Apple's guidance is that when the camera doesn't work and Face ID can't be configured, the device may need service — and Apple explicitly says only a trained technician should service it, because improper repair or non-genuine parts in the laser systems can be unsafe. So the right move is Apple Support or an authorized provider, not a third-party shop you found online and not a do-it-yourself repair.

If the problem appeared right after an iOS update, that doesn't mean the update caused it — time order isn't the same as cause. Just make sure you're on the latest version and follow the same normal checklist.

You probably don't need to worry about these

A passcode prompt every now and then. That's the security system doing its job, not the sensor failing.
A single failed attempt. An awkward angle or a glance away can do it; if the next try works, nothing is wrong.
A change in your appearance. New glasses, a beard, a hat — Face ID usually keeps up, and an alternate appearance handles the rest.
Light or distance. Face ID has a real field of view; holding the phone farther than arm's length is enough for it to give up.
Being asked for your passcode right after a restart. That's expected — the phone wants to be sure it's you before Face ID takes over again.

A simple way to decide

Face ID works most of the time, occasionally asks for the passcode → that's normal security behavior. Keep using it; nothing needs fixing.
Recognition keeps failing, but Face ID is set up and the checklist clears it → usually a covered camera, appearance change, or distance. Try the checklist in order.
Face ID won't re-enroll and the camera seems dead → this is the point where having it checked makes sense — calmly, with Apple Support or an authorized provider.

What to do next

Still not sure which situation you're in? Tell us whether Face ID works most of the time, what Settings > Face ID & Passcode shows, and when it started — via Ask Us — and we'll help you read it.