Most humans have at least 10 digits on their hands and every iPhone prior to the X let you register up to five of them. It was a very convenient way to secure your phone using biometrics as people hold their smartphones in different hands when using it.
I wanted to know whether Face ID worked in a similar fashion, whether it would allow me to register more than one face. The answer is NO. The iPhone X is the first smartphone by Apple that uses facial recognition technology as a means of securing the phone. The feature is used to unlock your phone, make Apple Pay transactions, auto-fill passwords and also work on the App Store. Face ID is a true replacement for the Touch ID and does the same exact job as the previous authentication method.
© Apple
Face ID works using the TrueDepth camera on the top of the screen. If you've read about the phone on the internet, you'll know it better as “the notch”. The camera notch has 3D-imaging and infrared scanners that can shoot 30,000 dots on your face in order to create a map of your face. The iPhone X stores the data and encrypts it within the smartphone.
© MensXP/AKshay Bhalla
In order to setup Face ID, you need to rotate your head in a full circle so that Face ID can capture all features of your face in detail. It uses depth technology for a simple reason - so that people can't use a picture of yours to unlock the smartphone. I went into the Face ID settings to see if I can register a second face - you know, my girlfriend's, but there was no option to add an additional face. The only thing you can do is reset and add a different face or the same face.
© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla
Knowing Apple, there is a reason behind everything they do and the explanation they give is simple and logical. Previously, you would hold your iPhone in one of your hands and you would unlock your smartphone using your thumb, index or any other finger. This also left room for a user to register a different fingerprint from another person. With five registration slots, it was never a big deal to share a fingerprint slot with your partner or best friend.
© Apple
Having said that, I love the fact that the Face ID does not allow multiple faces to be registered. A smartphone is a very personal device for me where I store a lot of private information. I won't lie, you may stumble across some memes and occasionally some porn on my browser. I would hate to find out my mother or my partner stumbled on some sensitive information that might just leave me embarrassed.
So, the fact that Apple only allows only one face for Face ID registration is great. I'm incredibly relieved and welcome this decision. According to Apple, since we have only one face, it just doesn't make sense to allow people to register multiple faces. Apple also added, based on their data, that “the number of people who let other people train their phone's Touch ID is minuscule.”
0 Comments
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.