How to restore 'After 4 hours' option for passcode requirement in Face ID settings on iPhone 17?

Thank you for posting this video. I have this exact same issue and people don't seem to understand what I'm referring to other than to 'Disable FaceID entirely' which is not how it previously worked. I have a iPhone 16 Pro. It worked like normal on my 13 Pro. My housemate has an iPhone 16, with the same iOS on his phone and he has all the options available whereas I only have immediately. I have tried absolutely everything.

Wondering if anyone has been able

to find a solution to this. It’s a real issue for me and I’d like to figure out how to get this back to something other than immediately.

It’s got be some magic combination of settings that creates the bug and I’m literally trying to turn everything on or

off to see if that does the trick but that is a tall order on a device with a million+ possible combinations.

Any help on how to fix it is still appreciated.

My wife has the exact same phone- literally we bought them at the same time- she uses apple wallet, etc and she is able to disable FaceID for unlock and set the passcode required for 4 hours. It’s crazy that I can’t find anyone that knows the right combination of settings to get this back.

seriously would Consider wiping my phone and starting over but only if I knew definitively that it would do the trick.

The best way to escalate an issue is to make an appointment at an Apple Store Genius Bar. Next best way is to call Apple Support and open a ticket on the suspected bug. Lastly is to provide feedback to Apple using their online feedback forum. Apple does not reply to submitted feedback. If you want follow up on any unresolved issue after calling Apple Support or visiting a Genius Bar, you can use the support ticket number and escalate the issue.

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gwenn113 wrote:

I tried every combination relating to face ids, and no luck. As my last resort, I resetted my face id (if you have stolen device protection on, turn it off first and wait for an hour), and as I checked the require passcode option, all of the options are back including 4 hours! But, if I set up face id again, the option goes back to immediately only.

That is expected behavior.

Imo, this is still better than having to enter your passcode everytime you turn your screen off.

If you have FaceID enabled, you don't need to enter your passcode every time the screen goes off.

You should know, we don’t all just leave our iPhones lying around for anyone to pick up. As this is clearly a glitch since iOS18, because not everyone is affected even if they have the latest version of iOS.

Surely it is up to users to take responsibility for their actions and if they want the four hour time limit. Not you. Not Apple.

[Edited by Moderator]

coryfromgeelong wrote:

You should know, we don’t all just leave our iPhones lying around for anyone to pick up. As this is clearly a glitch since iOS18, because not everyone is affected even if they have the latest version of iOS.

Surely it is up to users to take responsibility for their actions and if they want the four hour time limit. Not you. Not Apple.

You should know that as long as Face ID (or Touch ID on devices that support it) there has NEVER been an option other than Immediate.

You can let Apple know your views on this subject: https://feedback.apple.com

And Apple is very concerned about your security, because if you left your device open and someone used it to steal from you it’s likely that you complain publicly or might even sue Apple. So security on Apple devices isn’t just to protect you, it is also to protect Apple’s reputation and legal obligations.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

You should know that as long as Face ID (or Touch ID on devices that support it) there has NEVER been an option other than Immediate.

Oh, come now, you're just spoiling some people's mads with facts.

You should know that this is 100000% not true. I’ve had faceID settings on with an Apple wallet set up and have always had the option to “require after 4 hours”. Just as the original poster has stated, I also reset my Face ID because I got a new pair of glasses and it wasn’t recognizing me. Now after many, many years of no issue with only requiring passcode after four hours or more of no use—all of a sudden, I only have the option to use passcode immediately.

so, I don’t really think you know what you’re talking about.

Well, anyone who thinks that 100000% has any meaning at all really doesn’t understand much.

But the fact is still true that if Face ID is enabled the ONLY option for Require Passcode is Immediately. That has always been true, since Face ID was first released.

Maybe you are confusing it with Auto-Lock in Settings/Display & Brightness, which gives you a choice from 30 seconds to 5 minutes plus Never before the screen locks when the phone is idle. But 4 Hours has absolutely never been an option for Require Passcode or Auto-Lock.

josephfromwatsonville wrote:

I have the same issue as the last entry on this feed. I’ve tried all

suggested solutions and nothing works

I guess you missed my previous post:

The fact is still true that if Face ID is enabled the ONLY option for Require Passcode is Immediately. That has always been true, since Face ID was first released.

Maybe you are confusing it with Auto-Lock in Settings/Display & Brightness, which gives you a choice from 30 seconds to 5 minutes plus Never before the screen locks when the phone is idle. But 4 Hours has absolutely never been an option for Require Passcode or Auto-Lock.

I agree with Sravankra. 4 hours sounds like an incorrect passcode message. Stolen Device Protection only needs 1 hour.