Face ID will have a quick-disable feature and work with most sunglasses

A couple more questions have been answered about the iPhone X’s Face ID feature, confirming that the function will still work even when wearing most sunglasses, and that users will be able to quickly disable the unlocking feature to mitigate against thieves. The news come straight from Apple’s SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi responding to an email sent by Keith Krimbel, via MacRumors.

Specifically, Federighi commented that most sunglasses should be able to allow the IR projection, allowing the unlock feature to work even while users are wearing shades. He does note that not all sunglasses will work, though, so it seems like it’ll be something that you’ll want to test on a case-by-case basis once you have your hands on a phone to see if your specific pair of lenses work.

The other big takeaway from Federighi’s email is that there will be an option to quickly disable Face ID, simply by gripping buttons on the sides of the phone. It seems like a similar implementation than the “press home button five times” method that iOS 11 will be introducing on older devices, and may help assuage some of the security concerns when it comes to the legal protections of Face ID. And, as Federighi notes, it should also help offer a more secure lock out in the event that someone is trying to steal your phone.