Face ID not working after iOS 26.6 update

You may try some of these steps, please check after each step...

1. Eye tracking relies heavily on the front-facing camera. Ensure the lens is clean and free from smudges or obstructions. Use a soft, lint-free cloth.
2. Ensure adequate lighting. Poor lighting can significantly impact eye-tracking performance.  
3. Sometimes assistive touch settings can interfere. Check your assistive touch settings within the accessibility menu.
4. Ensure your screen protector or case isn't obstructing the front-facing camera. See the poic below
   1. 
5. If you still need help, reset your Face ID, then set it up again. Go to Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode, then tap Reset Face ID. Next, tap Set up Face ID to set it up again. If Face ID isn't working on your iPhone or iPad Pro
6. Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary software glitches. Turn off your iPhone, wait for a few seconds, and then turn it back on.
   1. Restart the device. That's it.
   2. Still not solved --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support
7. Corporate iPhone Profile Check and Removal Guide
   1. Is this your corporate iPhone? Then please contact the system administrator of your corporate.
   2. If it is your device, in that case, do you have any profile installed by your corporate/organization/enterprise/School Management?
   3. Erase the profile added by you If you have installed a profile on your own --> Install or remove configuration profiles on iPhone - Apple ...
   4. Please contact the system administrator of the organization who provided the profile to you
8. Parts and service history
   1. With iPhone 12 models and later using iOS 15.2 and later, you can go to Settings > General > About to see the parts and service history of your iPhone and you can see if the camera has been replaced. If the repair was done using genuine Apple parts and processes, you will see "Genuine Apple Part" next to Camera.
   2. 
   3.  
   4. You will see an Unknown Part  message if the camera installation is incomplete or if the camera:
   5. Was replaced with a nongenuine camera
   6. Was already used or installed in another iPhone
   7. Isn't functioning as expected
   8. This message doesn't affect your ability to use your iPhone or access your camera. Learn more about iPhone parts and service history.
   9. If your iPhone's camera has been previously replaced, repaired, or serviced by an unauthorized service provider, it's worth noting that Apple may decline to provide service for your device. The decision to refuse service will depend on the specific components that were affected by the unauthorized service.
9. If the issue persists, you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone. This will not erase your data but will reset all personalized settings to their default values. Go to Settings > General > Transfer & Reset > Reset > Reset All Settings and confirm the action. Note that you will need to reconfigure your settings afterward. All settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, the Home screen layout, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults. No data or media are deleted.
   1. Reset All Settings: Return iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support:- Return iPhone settings to their defaults
   2. You can return settings to their defaults without erasing your content.
   3. If you want to save your settings, back up your iPhone before returning them to their defaults. For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem but returning settings to their defaults doesn’t help, you might want to restore your previous settings from a backup.
   4. 
10. Make sure you have the latest updates installed.
    1. Update Over-the-Air (OTA) —> Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support (IN)
    2. Update using iTunes/Finder —> Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (IN)

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it is recommended to reach out to Apple Support or visit an authorized service center for further assistance. They can provide specific guidance based on your device model and iOS version.

Thank you for reaching out. 😉

Follow these steps, testing after each step:

• Face ID not working
• Software Update
• Turn iPhone on or off or tell Siri: "Power Off"
• Force Restart iPhone or tell Siri: "Restart"

If that didn’t work, then it could be a hardware issue.

According to Apple:

Using diagnostics available in iOS 14.6 or later, Apple has detected an issue with your TrueDepth camera that might cause it to not function as expected. The TrueDepth camera contains lasers, which might be disabled for safety reasons if the device malfunctions or is damaged. This won't prevent you from using your iPhone or iPad, but until your iPhone or iPad is updated or serviced, you might not be able to use Face ID, Animoji, Memoji, and some other features that use the front camera.

As a result, I recommend service.

Service Checklist:

• iPhone service pricing.
• Check AppleCare Coverage.
• Get your iPhone ready for service.

Service Appointment:

• Start a Service Request.

Contact Information:

• United States: 1-800-APLCARE.
• Contact Support.

Additional Support:

• iPhone Support.
• iPhone User Guide.
• Check Repair Status.

Good luck! 👋🏼😉

Smiliñ 😎 Brian

Faced similar issue after IOS 26.6 update, Open Settings--> Accessibility--> Face ID & Attention , Toggle off Require Attention for Face ID. Restart the phone and set up face ID again . It is working for me now.

My Face ID stopped working after updating to 26.6.1. This solution worked for me- went to accessibility and toggled “require attention” to off. Rebooted phone, went to Face ID setting and was able to set up my Face ID again. Works now.

interestingly, I was also able to complete the battery Instalation that was fine to this phone (iPhone 12 pro) about a year ago. I put in a non-OEM battery (third party) and I was never able to complete the final step to finish the installation. It was always just a highlighted action that I assumed couldn’t be completed because of the third party battery. But now with 26.6.1 the phone recognizes it as an Apple battery and I was finally able to reset it. Shrug

sp_64 wrote:

All of the things in @SravanKrA‘s list do not apply to me and the FaceID isn’t working most of the time. I have not yet deleted the FaceID settings and this should not be a requirement. Apple broke something.

In that case have Apple inspect it for a failed FaceID camera.

Stuff fails out of warranty, which is why AppleCare+ can be worth the extra $

Only Apple can replace FaceID cameras

alwyn18 wrote:

installed iOS 26.6 now Face ID no longer working

Not every issue an individual encounters on their device can be attributed to an iOS update. If the update itself were the root cause, then every device running that same version of iOS would exhibit the identical problem. In such a scenario, the forums would be flooded with countless posts reporting the same malfunction, creating an unmistakable wave of complaints that no one could possibly overlook. The absence of such widespread reports strongly indicates that the issue is not systemic, but rather specific to the device in question.

my phone just updated recently too, i believe on Thursday august 13th. Beforehand, my face id was working perfectly fine, iphone 14, still somewhat brand new, got it last year of march, and after receiving the update , ios 26.6, my face id stopped working as well. I also tried most of the steps and none of them helped. Though, when I have some time, I’ll try the whole “reset all settings” thing and see if it works. But I do believe ios 26.6 is the cause of this “minor” glitch, and its probably towards certain models, since its not everyone. Its weird.

All of the things in @SravanKrA‘s list do not apply to me and the FaceID isn’t working most of the time. I have not yet deleted the FaceID settings and this should not be a requirement. Apple broke something.

Mine is a private iPhone 17 Pro working perfectly before the update. I did everything possible for myself without having to take the phone to Apple! I'm traveling, and all banks and state apps require Face ID. I can't take the phone to an Apple store because I'll lose all app access for 3 countries! Now I'm usig the pass key but some app need to use face ID. Camera is working fine, all banks are asking for facial recognition perfectly, only face ID is not.

My iPhone 13 Pro and 12 Pro Face ID are working after the iOS 26.6 update