Face ID on iPhone XS and XS Max is an amazing feature. It lets you unlock your iPhone just by looking at it for a split second, but it has its limitations. Face ID doesn’t work in all situations, like when you’re holding the iPhone horizontally or sometimes when you’re wearing shades.

But if Face ID is not working in normal situations on your iPhone XS or XS Max, we may have some trouble. Below are a few tips to get fix Face ID and get it to work as it should.

  • Reset Face ID

    Go to Settings » Face ID & Passcode and tap Reset Face ID. Then tap Set up Face ID to enable it back.

  • Set Up an Alternative Appearance

    If there is an appearance of yours that Face ID is not able to work with, like when you’re wearing sunglasses, or a hat, or a fake mustache or anything like that, you can set it up as an alternative appearance on your iPhone.

    Go to Settings » Face ID & Passcode and tap “Set Up an Alternative Appearance”.

  • Other Face ID troubleshooting tips

    The above mentioned tips should iron out any major issues you may have with Face ID not working on your iPhone, but you should also take care of the following things:

    – Keep the notch area of your iPhone clean. It’s where the TrueDepth sensors which Face ID uses are located.
    – Face ID doesn’t work when you’re holding your iPhone in landscape orientation.
    – Make sure your face is directly in view of the front camera.