Apple

Can your brother unlock your iPhone by spoofing Face ID?

The arrival of Face ID with the iPhone X gradually removed fingerprint unlocking from these devices, right now being reserved only for the ‘SE’ versions. And although Apple claims that the efficiency and security of this facial recognition system is much higher than that of fingerprints, the truth is that it has not stopped generating certain controversies in recent years.

Face ID flounders with very similar factions

In response to the question raised in the headline of this post, we must tell you that as a general rule Face ID should have no problem differentiating two siblings. The reason for this is that, in the end, two brothers, even if they look alike and share some traits, always have differential elements that make the recognition system able to detect when it is facing the user who has their face registered and when it is not.

Now, there are certain exceptions to consider. For example that of the twin brothers or twins, which share the main facial features that Face ID recognizes and in those cases it could be a problem. We understand there can be a lot of family complicity between users, but in the end an iPhone is a very personal device and in this area a lot of privacy is lost and it is even advisable not to register the face and only keep the code.

face id patent

The same can happen with Other family have very common features. It also happens with kidssince these are the Achilles heel of this system and for which Apple does not recommend the use of Face ID in children under 16 years of age, also making it clear that the system may not work as expected in these situations.

This is how Apple could solve this problem

We all (or almost all) are clear that the integration of Touch ID in the iPhone in coexistence with Face ID would be a practical solution and highly applauded by users. But we also know that Apple is not one of those that gives its arm to twist easily and there are already many indications that show that they are not interested in the return of this system and want to bet everything on facial unlocking.

And this is where imagination and patents come in. There are dozens patents that Apple files daily and not all of them imply that the technology they describe is going to be finished in the short term or even that it ends up bearing fruit. However, there are clear proofs of its developments and for Face ID there are a few.

We met the most outstanding one in March 2019 and it described a complex system of sensors capable of recognize the veins of the face, something that is unique in each individual and could avoid any confusion in recognition at a stroke of the pen. It does not seem like something that can arrive immediately, but in 2020 we learned new details of this development again and it makes us anticipate that the company is studying this possibility in depth.

Face ID veins patent

Be that as it may, today we have to make do with what there is. And it is that, as good as it is, Face ID has a series of limitations that make it less accurate.

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