The Face ID feature should have been released at least a year ago

After a month of beta testing, Apple is slated to release iOS 15.4, which will bring the ability to unlock the device through Face ID with a mask on to the latest iPhones.

As the name denotes, iOS 15.4 is the fourth major update to iOS 15, which launched with the iPhone 13 in September. These updates, which started with December’s iOS 15.1 release, have added more features to Apple’s iPhone operating system and improved existing ones. iOS 15.4 will follow iOS 15.3.1, which was released last month to patch a security vulnerability in iPhones and iPads.

While there is no announced date for the release of 15.4, the beta testers have received the Release Candidate, which implies that the public release of the software update could occur as early as next week. Apple often releases a software update shortly after its newest products begin shipping, and the iPhone SE 3 and iPad Air 5 are stated to come with 15.4 preloaded, it was reported.

Upon updating the iPhone, the setup for Face ID should launch automatically. If you do not turn the feature on during the first launch, or wish to turn it off later, it can be found under Face ID & Passcode in the Settings app.

It bears mentioning that the feature is limited to some of Apple’s newest iPhones, even though Face ID has been available since 2017 with the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ X. As noted on our forums, Face ID with a Mask is only an option on the ‌iPhone 12‌ and later, so you’ll need an ‌iPhone 12‌, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max or an iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, or 13 Pro Max.

There is no clear-cut distinction between the hardware capabilities of the earlier iPhone models and the 12/13 series that one can use to justify the apparent lack of feature parity. Moreover, Apple warns in the Settings app that facial recognition is “most accurate” when it’s set up for full-face recognition only.