How to set up Face ID on an iPhone

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode and tap Set Up Face ID. Hold the phone in front of your face and slowly move your head in a circle until the ring is complete.

Face ID unlocks the iPhone, approves purchases and fills in passwords by recognising your face. Setting it up takes under a minute.

Step by step

  1. Open Settings and tap Face ID & Passcode

    You are asked for your passcode, or to create one if you have none.

  2. Tap Set Up Face ID

    Hold the phone upright, 25 to 50 centimetres from your face.

  3. Position your face in the frame and move your head in a circle

    Follow the ring on the screen until it is fully green. On some models a second scan follows.

  4. Tap Done

    Face ID is ready.

  5. Choose what it is used for

    On the same page, switch iPhone Unlock, iTunes & App Store, Wallet & Apple Pay and Password AutoFill on or off.

Good to know

If you look very different at times, for example with heavy make-up or protective gear, tap Set Up an Alternative Appearance and scan again.

Face ID with a Mask, on iPhone 12 and later, uses the area around your eyes and can be set up with glasses.

The phone still asks for the passcode after a restart, after 48 hours without unlocking and after five failed attempts.

Face data stays on the phone in a protected chip and is not sent to Apple.

In short: Settings, Face ID & Passcode, Set Up Face ID, move your head in a circle.

Sources
  • Apple Support: Use Face ID on your iPhone or iPad Pro

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.