What to Do If Face ID Has Been Disabled

Updated Jan 30,2019 | by Micky

Face ID is a facial recognition system by Apple which is superior to the passcode. It detects owner’s face and accordingly, authorizes them access to iPhone, making payments, and sensitive data.

Face ID should have been pretty convenient as far as we’re concerned. However, some users respond they are prompted that Face ID has been disabled and have no idea how to retrieve this feature. So, in this article, I will give some practical tips on how to fix Face ID has been disabled.

Hot Search: How to Disable Face ID on iPhone X | 5 Ways to Fix Face ID Not Working in iOS 12

A software glitch can cause the problem of “Face ID has been disabled”. In this case, you can try forcing restart the iPhone to fix it. For different iPhone models, the ways are also different.

Force Restart An iPhone 6S, SE, or Earlier

1.       Long press both the home button and the power button.

2.       Keep both buttons until the Apple logo appears.

3.       Let go of the buttons to let the device restart.

4.       Try Face ID again.

Force Restart An iPhone 7 or 7 Plus

1.       Long press the power key on the right side of the device.

2.       Long press the volume down button.

3.       Wait until the Apple logo appears.

4.       Let go of both buttons to restart the device.

5.       Try Face ID again.

Force Restart An iPhone 8 or X

1.       Quickly press and release the power up button.

2.       Do the same to the power down button.

3.       Long press the power button until you see the Apple logo appear.

4.       Let the iPhone restart and try Face ID again.

How to fix Face ID has been disabled? This issue might be caused by Face ID itself. Why not try turning it off and reset a new ID.

If you don’t know how? Follow the steps below to get it done.

1.       Go to “Settings” > “Face ID & Passcode”.

2.       Toggle off “Require Attention for Face ID” and “Attention Aware Features”.

3.       Toggle off all the options in “Use Face ID For” including phone unlock, iTunes, and App Store.

4.       Restart the device.

5.       Return to “Settings” > Face ID & Passcode and then, reset Face ID.

If the problem of “Face ID has been disabled” still exists or you find the option to reconfigure Face ID is grayed out after turning off Face ID for iPhone Unlock and iTuns& App Store, you might as well try resetting all settings.

1.       Go to “Settings”

2.       Tap on “General” and select “Reset” at the bottom.

3.       Tap on “Reset All Settings”.

4.       Enter the passcode.

5.       Confirm the resetting to proceed.

The latest iOS software often comes with patches for bugs discovered. So, updating the iPhone in time can sometimes fix the problem you encounter.

1.       Go to “Settings”.

2.       Tap on “General” > “Software Update”.

3.       Let the device check for the update.

4.       After it’s complete, follow the onscreen guide to finish the update process.

If you’ve tried all the methods but still can’t solve the problem, maybe, it’s time to take the device to the local Apple Store because it can be caused by a hardware issue which is beyond your own capability.

Bottom Line

What to do when Face ID has been disabled? No matter it’s a software issue or a hardware issue, there is always a way out. If the methods provided above helps, remember to share it with your friends.

Always feel free to contact us when you have any questions related to iPhone management.

Related Readings for Reference