iPhone's Face ID not working since 17.2.1 update

Follow the guidance in this support article→If Face ID is disabled on your iPhone or iPad Pro - Apple Support. This is frequently a hardware problem; there is a link in the article to contact Apple support if the listed troubleshooting doesn’t solve the problem.

See my post above, or I’ll repeat it here:

Follow the guidance in this support article→If Face ID is disabled on your iPhone or iPad Pro - Apple Support. This is frequently a hardware problem; there is a link in the article to contact Apple support if the listed troubleshooting doesn’t solve the problem.

If Face ID isn’t working after the 17.2.1 update and gets stuck on the setup screen, try these steps:

1. Restart your iPhone. Sometimes a simple reboot can resolve temporary issues.
2. Make sure the TrueDepth camera is clean and free from dirt or smudges.
3. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and reset Face ID. If it still doesn’t let you set it up, try resetting all settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings).

If the issue persists, there might be a software bug or a hardware issue. Check for another update or contact Apple Support to run diagnostics.

If Face ID is not working because of a software bug, restarting your iPhone or iPad may be enough to fix the problem. If nothing works, it's best to reset your Face ID and set it up again. Go to Settings > Face ID and passcode and tap Reset Face ID.

if it’s still not working refer to If Face ID isn’t working on your iPhone or iPad Pro – Apple Support (UK)

Same problem here. I did a tech support chat (after trying all the online troubleshooting issues) and they did a remote diagnostic test which came up with nothing. I mentioned how it happened right after the last update and they agreed it could be the issue but then suggested bringing it in for service. I did schedule a service appointment but postponed it a couple weeks, thinking it'll fix itself with the next update. Glad it's next week, hopefully it solves it!

I find it fascinating how, right after there is an OS upgrade--and thousands are experiencing the same problem--Apple will assert that it is something other than the OS upgrade. It's not a freaking hardware issue. It happened the very morning after I was automatically upgraded to iOS 17.5.1.

Now, for those of you experiencing the same thing, I can share that--although the Face ID setup just wouldn't work no matter how many times I tried it and no matter how many times I restarted my phone--it just did now, later in the day, approximately the 8th time I tried it. So I guess: just keep trying.

It doesn't surprise me, One software many devices there's a big possibility for things like this to happen more likely to many more people.

Go to apple store or chat with support or call support and let them fix it for you.

Contact - How to Contact Us - Apple

It did it almost simultaneously on both my iPhone 15 Pro Max and my iPad Pro after the last update. I restart, reset the Face ID, restarted again and it will work for maybe an hour. The worst part is that you can see this faint Face ID icon that appears on the top camera bar and tell it is stuck in some kind of Face ID thinking loop as it won't easily bring up the passcode prompt until after it decides to give up

My Face ID stopped working. Foolishly, I decided to reset my Face ID. However, no matter how squarely I put my face in the frame it tells me it’s not there. About the same time my iPad also started crashing at odd times. And now I’m just getting the flashing apple screen. Did the latest update come with a bug?

My wife and I have had iPhones since the 7. We’ve not experienced more frustration with our phones than we have experienced in the last month or so. Facial recognition is simply broken. Resetting it 10 times a day. No help. We are looking at Samsung now for the first time in more than 20 years.

Try thumping the camera location if the phone keeps asking you to lower or raise the phone. I kid you not, thumping the camera (not overly hard) will instantly make it do its job. I found this tip online.

Hey I just wanna ask if your face ID is still working as of now??? I am currently on 18.1 and the face ID worked after a few hours then it randomly stopped. I tried thumping it but it's still not working. It's been a month since I updated my iPhone 11 to iOS 18 and having the same issue since then.

Follow the guidance in this support article→If Face ID is disabled on your iPhone or iPad Pro - Apple Support. This is frequently a hardware problem; there is a link in the article to contact Apple support if the listed troubleshooting doesn’t solve the problem.

Having trouble with face recognition on my iphone 14. It suddenly stopped working yesterday though there hasn't been a very recent update. Tried rebooting and when that didn't work I tried redoing the facial image but it kept not being able to "see" my face and ordering me to move one way or another or closer etc......unyil I gave up.

Also disrupted my library app and erased the book on it as well as the face id on my banking app....

wonder if anyone else had a similar experience recently?

Yep, I had the same problem with my iPhone 13. Upgraded and got a iPhone 16 and no issues. I called Apple and they did a software check on my phone. Said no problems with the phone and I had to take it into Apple which is 1 hour away! I gave up in the end.