Lifehack for iPhone Users

If you are an iPhone user and you go out a lot during this COVID-19 pandemic; here is a great idea that will save you time and frustration. This idea may sound a little silly or even like it is more trouble than it is worth, but I promise you that if you go places a great deal; especially if you will be flying somewhere soon, this will save you a lot of headache.

The hack is actually a very simple concept. Before you leave your house, go into your settings and redo your face ID for your phone. This time, take the photo with your face mask on. When you are not in public, it’s easy enough to put in your code to unlock your phone. However; if you are traveling somewhere then chances are, you are going to be out in town when you get there, a lot. Not to mention the time in the airport and on the plane. All of these places; along with stores and other public places, now require that you wear a mask in order to enter. Airlines even require that you keep your mask on for the entire time that you are in the airport, and the entire flight; no matter how long that flight may be. So; you can see how having to put your code in every time you want to use your iPhone for anything while in public; even if you are just sitting in public, can get very old, very quickly.

When you return home for good, you can always reset the face ID again to your face without the mask. It is well worth the extra time and energy to make this change though. It will save you a lot of time and frustration during your trip. As a general rule, I would suggest doing this if you are going to be away from your house for more than four or five hours. This way, you’re not changing the setting all of the time, but will have it done when you need to use the phone a lot while your mask is on. Yes, you can pull your mask down or off and hope it recognizes your face (if the mask may prevent it even pulled down) but that does put your health at risk in public; especially if you are someone who is on and off of your phone all the time even in public.

This could also- of course- be a great money-making opportunity for developers. If you are able to create an app that allows a person to set a separate image with a mask on; that would then unlock their phone, then you stand to make a great deal of money. Until that app is invented and made available to the public; I would strongly suggest using this method to save yourself some time and frustration while you are out trying to enjoy the current post-pandemic world that we all live in. If your journey on public transport is one that starts early, I would also suggest that you set the masked face ID setting, the night before. If you use a mask that is unique, the app or phone will likely recognize it as part of the unlock ID required, so be sure to use a simple mask. Having said that; using a unique mask as part of the ID may provide a little more security. This aspect is up to you and will depend on you preferences and which masks you own.

Well, that’s it. It is a simple hack that will make your day a little easier while you are out and about during these pandemic times. Take it and run with it.

Stay safe!