What is Face ID?

Face ID is a facial recognition system designed and developed by Apple Inc. for the iPhone and iPad Pro. The system allows biometric authentication for unlocking a device, making payments, and accessing sensitive data, as well as providing detailed facial mapping for augmented reality applications.

If the new iPhone 15/14/13 is your first-ever iPhone, or if you have neither upgraded your iPhone from the 6/7/8 series nor have kept abreast with the happenings in the Apple world, you might wonder what this newfangled thing called Face ID is.

Face ID is an authentication system that came with iPhone X for the first time, and then the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14, and now the iPhone 15. Like Touch ID that uses your fingerprints, Face ID uses your face metrics to authenticate you for everything, the way Touch ID does.

Face ID is not a new and advanced version of Touch ID, but a completely different authentication system that utilizes a different component what Apple calls a TrueDepth camera to scan your face metrics. Face ID is not available on phones with Touch ID (iPhone SE 2022 today) and Touch ID is not available on iPhones that come with Face ID as their authentication mechanism.

Face ID is not just for unlocking your iPhone, but it is also used for authenticating you for Apple Pay, App Store purchases, and other third-party apps that support Face ID. It is also used for autofilling passwords and usernames in Safari and other apps.

What Can You Do with Face ID?

Most of us know that we can unlock iPhone 13 mini with our face via Face ID instead of a thumbprint or passcode. But actually, Face ID does more than just that. Let us learn more cool things you can do with Face ID, which helps you to make a decision if you still want to disable it. Here‘s what you can do on your iPhone 13 mini with Face ID:

Unlock Your iPhone 13 mini

As an authentication mechanism, Face ID enables you to unlock your iPhone 13 mini with a look. How to do that? Here are the steps:

• Step1: Pick your iPhone 13 mini up in your hands or tap the screen to wake it up.
• Step2: Look at the iPhone.
  When the lock symbol changes to the unlocked position, you can swipe up to unlock your iPhone 13 mini using Face ID and get to the Home Screen.Note that Face ID will not work in landscape mode on an iPhone 13 mini.

Click here

### Making Purchases Using Face ID on Your iPhone 13 mini

Face ID allows you to authenticate yourself to make purchases in the App Store, Book Store, and iTunes Store and use Apple Pay wherever supported.

Lowering Ringer and Alarm Volume Automatically

Face ID also enables what Apple calls Attention Aware features that are conveniences afforded to users who have a Face ID enabled iPhone.

Setting up and using Attention Aware features is easy:

• Step 1: Go to Settings > Face ID and passcode.

• Step 2: Toggle Require Attention For Face ID On.

• Step 3: Toggle Attention Aware Features On.

That’s it. Now, when you get a call and your iPhone 13 mini is ringing loud, looking at your iPhone 13 mini will cause it to lower the volume. When an alarm goes off, you can lower the volume by simply looking at your iPhone. Additionally, your iPhone screen will not dim or switch off for the duration you are looking at it. This means you can now read those books on Kindle without constantly tapping the screen for it to stay awake.

Autofill Passwords and Usernames in Safari and Other Apps

Face ID also allows users to fill passwords in Safari automatically for a faster and more convenient login experience on your iPhone 15/14/13 with Face ID.

Step 1: Go to Settings > Face ID and Passcode and toggle Password Autofill On.

Step 2: Now, when you use Safari to open a website that requires a login, tapping the username field or password field will bring up the keyboard, and on top of that keyboard there will be your credentials for the website if you have saved them in iCloud Passwords. Tap the credentials.

Step 3: Look at your iPhone to authenticate yourself with Face ID and Safari will autofill the credentials for you.

Authenticate Yourself for Third-Party Apps

Face ID is also used for authenticating you for third-party apps that support Face ID. This means you can use Face ID to authenticate yourself for banking apps, password managers, and other apps that support Face ID.

Animojis and Memojis

Up until now, we saw how Face ID enables productivity features and how convenient it is to use it. Now, we come to the fun part - Animojis. Apple launched Face ID in 2017 on the iPhone X with much fanfare and a huge part of that fanfare was Animojis. Over time, Apple brought new capabilities to the iPhone and added Memojis alongside Animojis.

Animojis are animated emojis. These are made possible with advanced algorithms enabled by the TrueDepth camera in Face ID. Animated emojis or Animojis can mimic your facial expressions and you can use them in your message conversations in apps.

Here‘s how to send Animojis in conversations on your new iPhone 13 mini:

Step 1: Open a message conversation in the Messages app.

Step 2: Tap the Memoji button (a character in a yellow frame) and swipe to select the desired Animoji/ Memoji you want to send.

Step 3: Tap the Record button and you now have 30 seconds to do what you want with your face and the character will reproduce it on screen for you.

Step 4: When done, the Record button changes to Send:

Tap Send to send your first Memoji/ Animoji.

How to use Face ID on iPhone 13 mini to pay with Apple Pay

• Step1: If Apple Pay is supported by banking institutions in your country, you can set it up by adding a supported bank‘s credit card, debit card, or prepaid card to the Wallet app on your iPhone 13 mini.

• Step2: When a card is added and ready to use, check that Apple Pay is enabled under Settings > Face ID and Passcode.

• Step3: For App Store/ Book Store/ iTunes Store purchases, it works as always, you double-press the Side Button to authenticate and use your default card.

• Step4: Look at your iPhone 13 mini to authenticate yourself using your Face ID and make the purchase.

• Step5: When paying at retail outlets, hold your iPhone 13 mini (top being close to the reader) and wait for the checkmark and Done message.

• Step6: To pay using Apple Pay on websites, choose Apple Pay as the payment method, double press the Side Button, look at your iPhone 13 mini, and wait for the Done message and checkmark to finish the process.

How to Remove Face ID on iPhone 13 mini

For all the hardware and software that make for a great experience for nearly all users around the world, Face ID can have its fair share of issues. Sometimes, your face might not get recognized, sometimes it might not work altogether.

Lately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen how Face ID struggles to work for us, and why? Because it cannot scan our faces with masks! So, it makes sense to remove Face ID from our iPhones and rely solely on passcodes. Alternatively, you want to reset your Face ID on your iPhone 13 mini and set it again if you have put on some ‘COVID weight’ owing to working from home.

Most of the time, the best and the simplest thing you can do to resolve your hardware and software issues is to restart the device in question. To restart your iPhone 13 mini, long-press the Side Button until the power slider appears and drag it to shut the device off. Then, use the Side Button to start the phone again.

Sometimes, the issues have a way of persisting, and a restart does not resolve them. the TrueDepth system might have developed a fault and Face ID might stop working. Or you got the dreaded “problem detected with TrueDepth camera” message on your iPhone 13 mini. In that case, you would like to know how to reset and remove Face ID on your iPhone 13 mini to see if that helps, before you are required to go to an Apple Store for service.

• Step 1: Go to Settings > Face ID and Passcode.

• Step 2: Scroll and tap the option "Reset Face ID" to remove Face ID on your iPhone iPhone 13 mini.

How to Set Up Face ID on Your iPhone 13 mini

Sometimes, you may just want to disable Face ID temporarily or the issue gets solved, and want to activate Face ID again. Setting up a Face ID on your iPhone 13 mini is easy. To set up Face ID, sit in a comfortable spot with adequate lighting and follow these steps:

• Step 1: Go to Settings > Face ID and Passcode and enter your passcode. If you have not set up a passcode yet, you will necessarily have to create one now before proceeding forward.

• Step 2: Tap Set Up Face ID to start the process.

• Step 3: Hold your iPhone 13 mini in the portrait orientation at about an arm‘s length away from your face and then tap Get Started.

• Step 4: Adjust to have your face inside the shown circle and then slowly rotate your head in a smooth motion to complete the circle. This step will be done one more time.

• Step 5: When done, tap Done.

In case you are getting the following error:

There are a few things you can try to resolve this, you can try to update your iPhone 13 mini to the latest iOS. At this point, you may even try running a beta version to see if that helps. If you are running a beta version, you may downgrade back to the release version to see if that resolves the error. Betas can both make and break things.

If this does not resolve it, you need to take the device to the nearest service center. The TrueDepth camera system has components that might have been damaged or might not be working properly, for whatever reason, and the service personnel is equipped to resolve this issue for you at the earliest.

How to use Face ID on iPhone 13 mini to make purchases in App Store, Book Store, and iTunes Store

• Step1: Check if Face ID is enabled for purchases in these stores by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and ensuring that iTunes and App Store are toggled On.

• Step2: On any of these stores, when you tap on the option to buy some content, a payment confirmation popup will be displayed along with instructions to authenticate yourself using Face ID.

The instructions are simple: press the side button twice to authenticate yourself using your Face ID and make the purchase.
When done, a satisfying ting and a checkmark will confirm the action.

Difference Between Activation Lock and Locked Apple ID

Apple being Apple, does a lot to make sure that users get the smoothest experience possible when interacting with their Apple products, both hardware, and software. Yet, sometimes, the messaging gets confusing, and people are not sure what is what. One such thing is the difference between iCloud Activation Lock and Apple ID Lock. While people are more likely to encounter Activation Lock and less likely to encounter Apple ID Lock, they are often confused when they encounter Apple ID Lock and struggle to figure out what that means and how to resolve the issue.

Activation Lock is when your supported Apple device is locked for a number of reasons. The most common reason is a stolen device that was locked by its owner, however, there are other perfectly valid reasons such as an outgoing employee forgetting to sign out and erase their Apple device before submitting it back. The IT department would not be able to reset that device without turning off Find My Phone and Activation Lock on the device.

A locked Apple ID usually happens when the user has forgotten their password to their Apple ID account and attempts to figure out the password have been unsuccessful. Sometimes, Apple ID gets locked automatically under some conditions, and that requires users to reset their password to gain access. A locked Apple ID does not mean that your device is locked for your use. You can keep using it so long as you do not try to use another Apple ID with it since to do that you would have to sign out of your current Apple ID (which is locked) and you won’t be able to do that. On the other hand, Activation Lock renders the entire device unusable till the lock is cleared.

In short, Apple ID Lock is about a user’s account with Apple, akin to how Google Account works on Android devices. Apple ID Lock locks a user’s account with Apple while retaining complete usage of the device whereas Activation Lock locks the device and prevents anyone from using it until the correct credentials are entered. This is about verifying the ownership of the device and works to deter theft of Apple devices.

How to Unlock Apple ID on iPhone 13 mini

It is unfortunate you are facing a locked Apple ID. Apple tries its best to make users aware of safety protocols they need to follow to minimize and mitigate such unfortunate occurrences, such as using two-factor authentication, trusted devices, trusted phone numbers, passwords, passcodes, etc. that serve as deterrents to prevent unauthorized access to devices and accounts. Yet, when the unfortunate happens, what to do?

Here are the steps to unlock your Apple ID:

Unlock Apple ID Via Two-Factor Authentication

Apple implemented two-factor authentication a long time ago to prevent unauthorized access to Apple ID accounts. If you have it enabled, you would be able to use two-factor authentication to unlock your Apple ID again.

• Step 1: Go to https://iforgot.apple.com .

• Step 2: Key in your Apple ID and proceed.

• Step 3: Confirm your mobile number associated with the Apple ID.

If you have another device associated with the Apple ID and it is a trusted device, you can now receive instructions to proceed with a two-factor code on that device.

• Step 4: Use that code to unlock your Apple ID using two-factor authentication.

Unlock Apple ID Via a third party tool

Dr.Fone is a name that will be instantly familiar to anyone who has ever had any issue with their mobile devices and would be able to vouch for the quality and efficacy of this software at fixing issues quickly and efficiently.

Dr.Fone is a collection of carefully crafted modules that helps you when most needed. Ranging from helping you wipe your devices securely with Data Eraser to maintain your privacy when you sell your device or give it to service and helping you erase not just junk on your device but also user data such as SMS (whether single or batch) to free up some space on your iPhone 13 mini, to Phone Transfer that helps you to easily transfer data you’re your old phone to your new iPhone 13 including restoring from iCloud Backups, Dr.Fone is a venerable utility from Wondershare that does it all and lives up to its name. Naturally, this tool was designed to help you unlock your Apple ID as well.

• Step 1: Download Dr.Fone .

• Step 2: Launch Dr.Fone and select the Screen Unlock module.

• Step 3: Click Unlock Apple ID to start the process.

• Step 4: Connect your device to the computer and wait for Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) to detect it. You must know the passcode of your device.

You will be asked on your iPhone 13 mini to Trust the computer, and then you will need to enter the passcode.

• Step 5: Unlocking Apple ID via Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) will erase the contents of the device. You need to confirm this by typing six zeroes (000 000) in the popup.

• Step 6: Follow the on-screen instructions to reset all your settings on the iPhone and then reboot to start the unlocking process.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) will notify you when the process is complete.

Activation Lock Primer

Apple products are costly, and they are prized. When a 5-year-old Android device might be left alone without anyone stealing it, you cannot risk that with an iPhone 6S, even today. Apple has built an Activation Lock in its devices to deter theft and so far, as we know, it has largely succeeded. If your iPhone 13 mini 13 gets stolen, no one else can use it with their Apple ID unless they key in the credentials it was using previously (your credentials) and, even then, Apple has bolstered iCloud Find My Activation Lock to be more restrictive. You may have to key in a lot of information ranging from your device password (if you are also using the same Apple ID on a Mac) to your iOS device passcode too, obviously, your Apple ID password. It is a system that works in favor of Apple users.

Yet, in some cases, users want to get around the Activation Lock for genuine reasons, say, when you buy a used Apple device from someone. They may have forgotten to remove that device from their Apple account and Activation Lock would not let you use it. Or, you are an IT administrator, and you manage devices given out to employees. Some employees did not remove their accounts from their devices, and now those iPhones are riddled with Activation Lock. You can remove it using this step-by-step guide.

Bypassing Activation Lock using official methods (iPhone 13 mini)

An Activation Lock is not the end of the world, as Apple might have you believe. Nothing in the world is perfect, except for the world itself. As such, there are ways to bypass Activation Lock on an Apple device that you bought used, and the previous owner forgot to unlock or did so intentionally and is now trying to fleece you for more money to unlock it. Or an employee who just left the job surrendered their iPhone 13 mini but forgot to erase the device before submitting and consequently, the device is still associated with their Apple ID, and you need to bypass Activation Lock for that iPhone 13 mini to make it useable again. There are a few ways you can go about it.

Bypassing Activation Lock Using Apple ID

Disabling Activation Lock on iPhone 13 mini is easy if you have the Apple ID credentials that are associated with the iPhone 13 mini.

• Step 1: Enter device Recovery Mode and Restore the device to factory settings.
• Step 2: When you set up the device again, you will be required to sign in to the Apple ID associated with the device. Do that and you are golden!

Bypassing Activation Lock from iCloud Website

You may also do away with Activation Lock using the Find My iPhone app in iCloud remotely by erasing the device and removing the device from the associated iCloud account.

• Step 1: Visit the iCloud website on a computer at https://icloud.com .
• Step 2: Sign In and go to Find iPhone.

• Step 3: Click All Devices and select the device that was sold to the user.
• Step 4: Click Erase iPhone and if the device is still there after the erase is complete, click Remove From Account.

This process requires that the data service be functional on the iPhone in question, otherwise, this will not work. When the process is done, restart the iPhone and set it up with your Apple ID to remove the lock.

Bypassing Activation Lock Using Microsoft Intune

If you are an IT administrator and are using Microsoft services, you may have given employees iPhones. When employees leave or are made to leave, it is possible that the devices they leave behind are still signed in with a password only they know. There is a way Apple provides for Microsoft Intune to disable Activation Lock for corporate devices.

• Step 1: Sign in to the admin center on Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
• Step 2: Select Devices under Intune.
• Step 3: Select All Devices.
• Step 4: Locate the device you want to disable the lock for, and under the Hardware section, copy the Activation Lock Bypass Code given under Conditional Access.
• Step 5: Under the Overview pane of the device, select Wipe.
• Step 6: When the device resets, it prompts for the Apple ID and password. Leave the ID blank and enter the bypass code as a password.

The device will be reset, and employees can set it up again with a new Apple ID.

Bypassing Activation Lock with a Professional Tool

For iPhone 5S to iPhone 13 mini users who prefer an easier way to remove Activation Lock, Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) is a suitable option.

Dr.Fone is a set of modules that cater to a myriad of requirements that phone users can have from time to time, and one of them is the need to be able to disable the Activation Lock for Apple devices when the need arises. A need never arises in our wildest dreams, until it does, at the most inopportune time. It has, hasn’t it?

Here is how to use Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) to quickly circumvent Activation Lock and get on with setting up your iPhone 13 mini. Who needs to wait to talk with the previous owner or go through all other time-consuming methods when you have Dr.Fone?

• Step 1: Get Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) .
• Step 2: From the list of modules on display, select Screen Unlock.
• Step 3: Select iCloud Activation Lock Removal.

• Step 4: Then select Start to initiate unlocking the iOS device’s Activation Lock.

• Step 5: Follow the instructions to continue to jailbreak the iPhone.

• Step 6: After the jailbreak, continue to agree to the terms of use and note the device details displayed are correct.

• Step 7: As the final step, click Start Unlock.

After a while, Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) will notify you of a successful bypass. You can now restart the device and use it. This option is restrictive in nature as you will be unable to use the iPhone to make calls or access cellular services including iCloud. This option is best for when you want to see/ recover some data from the device that you would otherwise lose.

Prevent iPhone From Getting Disabled Again

After all this to get access back, you might think let’s go passcode-less and prevent the hassle. Don’t do that - that’s worse and unsafe. Instead, here are tips you can use to make sure you don’t accidentally disable your iPhone 13 mini again.

• Tip 1: About Passcodes

1.1 Set a passcode that is easier to remember for you but difficult to think of for thieves and others.
1.2 Never use birthdates, years, vehicle numbers or any such numbers that may be easily tried by others.
1.3 Never use repeating numbers.
1.4 Do not use your ATM PIN as your phone passcode either. Think of some digits or combination that makes sense to you and only you. And then use it.

• Tip 2: Use Face ID

Along with Passcode comes the option of Face ID on your iPhone 13 mini, so use that. That will minimize instances for you to enter your passcode, and may make you forget it again, though. So, make sure that the passcode you set does make sense to you and you can remember it always without effort.

Not all of us have the memory of elephants. With Touch ID and Face ID on our iPhones minimizing the use of passcodes, we may forget them. Another factor in forgetting passcodes is being too smart for our own good and trying to set up such a secure passcode that even we are not able to remember it. If we enter incorrect passcode too many times, the iPhone disables itself and we need to restore it to factory settings to unlock it again. There are several ways to do that, depending on the time you are willing to spend on the job and your proficiency level, along with the resources that you have with you right now. For example, if a method requires use of another iOS device and you do not have it, that method is not useful to you right now, pick another. Lastly, when the device is reset, instead of going passcode-less to make sure that you do not forget the passcode again, it is best to set up a passcode that you can somehow remember.