FaceID is a bit more advanced than Android-based face authentication systems. It uses 3D mapping and facial feature distinction trained on a large dataset to evaluate whether the authentication...
FaceID is a bit more advanced than Android-based face authentication systems. It uses 3D mapping and facial feature distinction trained on a large dataset to evaluate whether the authentication attempt succeeds—it can't be fooled by a mere image of someone (additionally, that person needs to have their irises trained on the phone for the unlock to work too). This is why people sometimes complain about FaceID not working when wearing some types of sunglasses, or helmets, for example.
That said, you can add a secondary alternate appearance in the FaceID settings. You might be able to get away with a very minimal mask, but probably not something that obscures your entire face.
The area around the nose and mouth is one of the key zones that it uses. So any mask that would work for preventing spread of disease wouldn’t work with Face ID. You could maybe spoof it if you...
The area around the nose and mouth is one of the key zones that it uses. So any mask that would work for preventing spread of disease wouldn’t work with Face ID. You could maybe spoof it if you tried putting an alternate appearance of your face over the parts of the mask and FaceID might decide your eyes and forehead are real enough.
Has that been proven to actually work? The FaceID registration process involves rotating your face around to give it a full 3D contour map of your face. I’d be surprised if it can’t tell it’s a mask
Has that been proven to actually work? The FaceID registration process involves rotating your face around to give it a full 3D contour map of your face. I’d be surprised if it can’t tell it’s a mask
Oh, I have no idea. I was just curious if that's the sort of thing you meant. (Also, I think the product is hilariously creepy and wanted to share it!)
Oh, I have no idea. I was just curious if that's the sort of thing you meant. (Also, I think the product is hilariously creepy and wanted to share it!)
Can you imagine the loss of security that would cause? The really hard thing about security systems is that they don't just have to do the right thing with the right inputs (very small possibility...
Can you imagine the loss of security that would cause?
The really hard thing about security systems is that they don't just have to do the right thing with the right inputs (very small possibility space), they also have to do the right thing with all bad inputs (basically infinite possibility space). The latter part is what a lot of android biometric solutions struggle with, and most laypeople don't consider, but historically Apple has been pretty good.
Apple spends a lot of money on research into this area, and they give away a lot of money to researchers who find a way to make it do the wrong thing with the wrong input. If you cover up a large portion of your face with a mask, the algorithm loses a bunch of data points and it's discriminatory power gets massively reduced. Maybe it will still let you in when it sees you, but now Apple has to test how it reacts when someone else wearing a mask tries to unlock your phone. If I had to guess, the available facial area is not enough for a high enough confidence rating to allow a phone unlock.
Such an interesting case of technology failing. I've always wondered about Asian countries where face masks have been a social norm for many years now and apparently, it just doesn't work. I still...
Such an interesting case of technology failing. I've always wondered about Asian countries where face masks have been a social norm for many years now and apparently, it just doesn't work. I still think the only reason they introduced it was to get rid of the "ugly" home button in favor of a true all-screen front, not because it's a superior form of identification. I don't buy the "higher security" argument at all, nobody cares, the FBI has problems with pin codes, the CIA laughs at either.
I think Apple is good at judging design decisions based on function rather than aesthetics (despite the memes suggesting the opposite) but this is a case where they slipped up, I believe. The whole post-iPhone X UI experience is so floaty, I wouldn't want to let go of the home button as one last thing you can do, with 100% reliability, without looking. I also wouldn't be surprised if they brought back something more physical as a "bold, new" innovation a few years down the line. They were pretty proud of that "digital crown"...
Why wouldn't you just take a photo of yourself while wearing a mask, and then tell your iPhone to use that as its security access image?
FaceID is a bit more advanced than Android-based face authentication systems. It uses 3D mapping and facial feature distinction trained on a large dataset to evaluate whether the authentication attempt succeeds—it can't be fooled by a mere image of someone (additionally, that person needs to have their irises trained on the phone for the unlock to work too). This is why people sometimes complain about FaceID not working when wearing some types of sunglasses, or helmets, for example.
That said, you can add a secondary alternate appearance in the FaceID settings. You might be able to get away with a very minimal mask, but probably not something that obscures your entire face.
The area around the nose and mouth is one of the key zones that it uses. So any mask that would work for preventing spread of disease wouldn’t work with Face ID. You could maybe spoof it if you tried putting an alternate appearance of your face over the parts of the mask and FaceID might decide your eyes and forehead are real enough.
You mean something like this?
Has that been proven to actually work? The FaceID registration process involves rotating your face around to give it a full 3D contour map of your face. I’d be surprised if it can’t tell it’s a mask
Oh, I have no idea. I was just curious if that's the sort of thing you meant. (Also, I think the product is hilariously creepy and wanted to share it!)
Can you imagine the loss of security that would cause?
The really hard thing about security systems is that they don't just have to do the right thing with the right inputs (very small possibility space), they also have to do the right thing with all bad inputs (basically infinite possibility space). The latter part is what a lot of android biometric solutions struggle with, and most laypeople don't consider, but historically Apple has been pretty good.
Apple spends a lot of money on research into this area, and they give away a lot of money to researchers who find a way to make it do the wrong thing with the wrong input. If you cover up a large portion of your face with a mask, the algorithm loses a bunch of data points and it's discriminatory power gets massively reduced. Maybe it will still let you in when it sees you, but now Apple has to test how it reacts when someone else wearing a mask tries to unlock your phone. If I had to guess, the available facial area is not enough for a high enough confidence rating to allow a phone unlock.
Such an interesting case of technology failing. I've always wondered about Asian countries where face masks have been a social norm for many years now and apparently, it just doesn't work. I still think the only reason they introduced it was to get rid of the "ugly" home button in favor of a true all-screen front, not because it's a superior form of identification. I don't buy the "higher security" argument at all, nobody cares, the FBI has problems with pin codes, the CIA laughs at either.
I think Apple is good at judging design decisions based on function rather than aesthetics (despite the memes suggesting the opposite) but this is a case where they slipped up, I believe. The whole post-iPhone X UI experience is so floaty, I wouldn't want to let go of the home button as one last thing you can do, with 100% reliability, without looking. I also wouldn't be surprised if they brought back something more physical as a "bold, new" innovation a few years down the line. They were pretty proud of that "digital crown"...