My iPhone asks for passcode with Face ID

I've been on 17.4.1 since you posted this but it did not help me, I still had to erroneously enter my PIN several times where Face ID should have worked. Nor do I see any mention of Face ID bug fixes in the release notes from 17.4.1. :-(

The latest example was this morning: I went to bed, Face ID had been working as expected before going to bed. There was no update made to my phone overnight. I live alone with no pets, so nobody else is attempting to access my phone. I woke up this morning and had to enter the PIN to "Enable Face ID". This has been the typical scenario for me, sometimes though it happens during the day too. And again, I work from home, alone, nobody else is trying to get into the phone.

yeah, it didn’t totally fix the problem for me, either, i’ve found, just made it happen a few times a day instead of constantly—still not okay but Apple Support is not helpful. 😡 I think instead of writing about it more here, though, everyone needs to flood Apple Support with calls so THEY get annoyed enough to fix it because it’s clearly not the intended UX.

Si I’m not the only one….

iphone 15 pro here, it seems even worse than on my iPhone 11 Pro.

please apple, put an option so we can force the authentification or so that the iPhone retry 3 times before asking for code.

it is so frustrating. Makes me regret my old android with finger recognition.

Setting a shorter pin would seem to be the answer, however I recently watched an investigative piece about pin theft. Thieves are watching victims enter their pin then stealing the phone to gain access to financial accounts. It’s advised to use a longer, difficult to crack, alphanumeric pin to reduce the chance of becoming a victim.

Same here! I just got my phone 4 weeks ago!!!! I see no answers. I am seriously thinking of going Android even if I have an iPad mini, iPad Air. A MacBook Air, an Apple Watch!!! My husband has never had a problem with his Samsung well, only when the dog ate it 😜

Did you read other’s comments? I bet not. Apple requires to use passcode even if the phone has just been used 3-5 mins ago. Face ID didn’t work for we don’t know what reason when we’re just holding our phones.

I have the same problem and it is very frustrating. The most recent occurrence was a few minutes ago even though I had used my iPhone (13 pro, iOS 17.5.1) less than 10 minutes earlier. Why can’t apple get this right?

NYJack wrote:

I have the same problem and it is very frustrating. The most recent occurrence was a few minutes ago even though I had used my iPhone (13 pro, iOS 17.5.1) less than 10 minutes earlier. Why can’t apple get this right?

What did Apple tell you when you had them evaluate your phone?

Has anyone figured this out yet? Aside from being very annoying, entering passcode especially in public is a huge security risk. Apple hasn’t still fixed the security hole where thieves can easily change your Apple ID once they know your passcode. Apple needs to fix this ASAP.

[Edited by Moderator]

I have read these and other comment threads and tried all the various fixes without success. Forever a disappointment, Apple the self-proclaimed gold standard for good UX and user centricity is silent. But hey, new fancy features is what sells product and makes shareholders money, not assuring your products work well. So my $1200 handheld computer can tell me how good looking I am every morning and make me expresso, but I can’t reliably make phone calls, text, or connect to devices. Cynical rant by old software designer over. 😎

You are correct, but that's all beside the point. The new release of iOS frequently asks for the code even when these conditions aren't happening. Also beside the point: I made my first visit to Chattanooga last fall on a business trip. Absolutely beautiful city, especially by the river. Hope I can visit again.

Thanks for the reply; my “early-on” reply to which I assume you’re referring was an attempt to help inform those who might not otherwise understand what constitutes “normal” OS behavior.

Clearly, as the thread progressed, it became more and more apparent that abnormal behavior was indeed being observed.

Thanks for your kind comments about this region. It’s indeed a GREAT place to live. And having some of the fastest, symmetric speed internet available anywhere to EVERY “plain ol’ consumer” — via FTTH to every premises — is a huge plus.

This is infuriating.

When I’m driving and need the GPS, instead of unlocking with Face ID, I have to unlock with a passcode. Great, take my eyes off the road for several seconds so I can enter my code.

Heck finger print scanner would make it so much easier. But thank you for not including that on my iPhone 13.

Electronic devices are supposed to make life easier. Not more difficult. Thank you for ruining the experience Apple.

After work I’m going to buy an unlocked Android phone and go back to team green. This is appalling.

Good bye Apple. Kiss my subscriptions good bye as well.

Dougdangger wrote:

After work I’m going to buy an unlocked Android phone and go back to team green. This is appalling.

Good bye Apple. Kiss my subscriptions good bye as well.

Apple doesn't read here in this user-to-user forum for feedback or suggestions. So, threats here will only be seen by other users. You can let Apple know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

Did you have Apple run diagnostics on your phone? Or did you just assume that Apple would magically fix something of which they were unaware? Did you do any troubleshooting? If so, what?

And while not “officially published” IMO: “So you don’t forget it !!!

As a forgotten passcode requires a non-trivial restoration procedure (involving total erasure of the iOS device)