Face ID not working, stolen device on, significant locations off

Topic

Iphone 13, IOS 18.1

After update, face id is not working. As stolen device is on, I cannot reset face id. As significant locations is off, sitting at my desk on my home wifi doesn’t allow me to turn off stolen device, or reset face id.

I’ve had the phone for years, never had a problem with face id until several months ago, when sometimes it wouldn’t work, but it always seemed to come back, by turning the phone off or just by chance it seems. I’ve updated the ios hoping it was an ios glitch and they would fix it. I’ve read everything I can find about it, seems it’s not only me, but I haven’t found anything that works. If I can get face id working, I will turn off stolen device and turn on significant locations.

Any help is appreciated.

Replies

How to turn stolen device protection on or off –

1. Go to Settings, then tap Face ID & Passcode.
2. Enter your device passcode.
3. Tap Stolen Device Protection, then turn Stolen Device Protection on or off.

As far as Face ID not always working, it can depend on how you set it up. If you wear reading glasses and don’t set Face ID while wearing them, this could cause a problem with face recognition. You can set Face ID a couple times for a different visual. Such as if you wear glasses sometimes while using your iPhone or not at other times. Also, it may depend on lighting. I’ve had a problem with facial recognition but will either try again or in one case I’ve had to reset it.

Using your Passcode is an alternate access to your iPhone. Another fix might take doing a hard reset for your iPhone.
1. Press and quickly release the volume up button
2. Press and quickly release the volume down button
3. Press and hold the side button
4. Release the side button when the Apple logo appears

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

Face ID & Passcode has ‘reset Face ID’

Thanks, Myst, Alex5723, appreciate your responses. Somehow, face-id worked after my message, and I immediately turned off stolen device and turned on Significant Locations – alth0ugh after 24 hours or so there is nothing in the history. And Myst, based on your input I did add my reading glasses to the face-id. Thanks.

So for now it’s resolved I guess, but it’s tricky with stolen device turned on if face-id is not working. From what I read if you are in a significant location that will allow the passcode to be used instead. Again, appreciate your assistance.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Myst, Alex5723