There have recently been several reports on the Reddit platform that the actually so secure Face ID of the Apple iPhone X with relatives - for example with siblings, but also with parents and children - fails as a safety barrier. It all started with two brothers whose faces are similar and who, with similar or the same glasses, were able to unlock the latest Apple smartphone via Face ID. A Face ID bug that can put the higher security compared to Touch ID into perspective.
Chapter in this post:
Update 10.11.2017/XNUMX/XNUMX: Face ID learns after entering a PIN
The alleged Face ID bug has now been cleared up and, as speculated at the bottom of this article, can be traced back to Face ID machine learning. The respective "wrong" user entered the PIN after the non-recognition by Face-ID and thus Face-ID conveyed that he is the right person, who was not recognized correctly. Repeating this multiple times will train Face ID to the “wrong” face, so that eventually it will unlock the iPhone as well if the wrong person – in this case a brother or other relative – picks up the iPhone. So the behavior of Face ID is by no means a bug but rather a feature based on “learning” Face ID.
Update end
Face ID Bug: Brothers are recognized as one person
For the security of the Face ID on the iPhone X, Apple has stated that the probability of unlocking by someone other than the person to whom the Face ID is set up is a good 1: 1000.000. After the news about the bug and the unlocking by close and similar-looking relatives, this probability could be rated differently. Before I come back to the brothers who are trying to explain the Face ID bug and its supposed background, here is a video that shows a similar case:
Relativization: AI has probably adapted
The AI behind the iPhone X's security feature could be key to the problem. Because the brothers mentioned above have shown in a video the steps that made the alleged Face ID bug possible in the first place. One brother set up the feature on himself, and the other then entered the correct unlock code several times after not recognizing the face. Entering the code correctly several times can mean that the AI has adjusted its biometric values - in the case of people who look similar, this can mean that both can unlock the iPhone X. So a Face ID bug with detours:
Conclusion
While in the first video (above) it looks as if the error in the Apple iPhone X is already preprogrammed, the second video puts this assumption into perspective. The Face ID bug is more likely to be generated by the user himself by setting up an obvious unlock code or passing it on. If you want to be on the safe side after relatives have used your iPhone, you should set up both the Face ID and the code again in the settings of the Apple smartphone. The future will tell whether the new security feature will prevail after individual reports or whether the Touch ID will come back with a chance of confusion of 1: 50.000.
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After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.
