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LonestarOne

macrumors 65816
Sep 13, 2019
1,072
1,422
McKinney, TX
It's a real shame that some locales are stipulating the wearing of masks when out. If you're healthy, the WHO only recommends that you wear a mask if you're treating someone with COVID, at which point you shouldn't be handling a phone anyway. Otherwise wearing a mask creates plastic waste and depletes the stock of PPE for those who actually need them.

The data clearly shows that the importance of wearing masks to reduce the spread of the virus. Stop spreading FUD.
 

bluespark

macrumors 68040
Jul 11, 2009
3,112
4,037
Chicago
It's mostly security theater. Take a look around and see how many people are touching their mask with their hands. Do you see anyone going to wash their hands after doing that? Usually not, so now that person is spreading the virus (if they have it) because they've transferred it from their mask to their hands.

Most people are leaving their masks in their cars, never washing them, so as soon as they put them on they've already transferred the virus from their mask to their hands.

That would be true if, as originally thought, surface contamination was the major concern. However, over time the evidence has indicated that the risk of surface contamination is lower than originally thought, while the risk of airborne transmission is much higher than originally thought.

Touching and rewearing masks is far from ideal, and most masks won't provide that much protection to the wearer, but they demonstrably have a significant effect in reducing the airborne risk to others. Simply put, we now know that we need to wear masks to keep others safe, and touching the mask (though a bad practice from the wearer's perspective) does not in any way diminish the mask's ability to improve the safety of others.
 
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1144557

Cancelled
Sep 13, 2018
925
2,413
You are thinking about the unlocking. Apple thinks about the security, that is not allowing anyone other than you to unlock the iPhone. That's even more important. I'm sure someone would find a way to unlock your phone. For example, I take your phone out of your pocket and the watch authenticates it, while _I_ am holding it in your hand, not you.

And Apple made a change where when you look at your phone the phone decides _immediately_ that there is a person with a mask that cannot be recognised, and puts up the passcode immediately, so it's much faster now.

With respect not really. When your Face ID (or Touch ID) fails is backs up to a PIN.

ANY phone (iPhone, Android, ANY) is as vulnerable to hacking as any other PIN. Hence make a complex password (not the 4 or 6 digit PIN). This Face ID is more secure is marketing gooblygook that Apple is feeding the public. Face ID is NOT more secure when biometric methods resort to PIN when they fail, which is the weakest link.

More CONVENIENT, debatable/personal preference if you like fingerprint vs face scanning and with masks etc.

That is Apple marketing speak to make it sound so special. If someone was going to steal and 3D clone your fingerprint with the steps it took to fool Touch ID you have bigger problems anyway. But not when you default back to a PIN either way is not more secure; a simple Graykey will beat all for much less effort than cloning biometrics.
 
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nick9191

macrumors 68040
Feb 17, 2008
3,365
189
Britain
The data clearly shows that the importance of wearing masks to reduce the spread of the virus. Stop spreading FUD.

You have quoted my post from several months ago at which point the WHO were actively advising against the wearing of masks outside of a medical setting.

Since their advice has changed, so has mine. I have no intention of modifying my post since it’s a snapshot in time, however if a moderator wishes to delete it then that is of course their right.
 

Bill Av

macrumors 6502
Oct 21, 2006
278
206
It depends on what type of face covering you wear or are required to wear for your job.
I work from home so no mask required :) But when I do venture out into the world I wear a plastic see through face shield. It is accepted everywhere and has the added luxury of letting me breath easier and FaceID works.
I wear to the gym and it is so nice to be able to breathe!

I take the subway, amongst other things. Some people get on the train without a mask on with a look that says "I DARE you to ask me about it". Me, I'd feel badly if I accidentally sneezed without a mask - it would probably worry my fellow passengers for a week. Plus, I'd probably get stabbed if that happened.
 

Ralfi

macrumors 601
Dec 22, 2016
4,329
3,026
Australia
Meh - I just pull the mask down, hold my breath while doing it - and done.
You should be minimizing the amount of times you touch your mask.

Apple really needs to add under-screen Touch ID to Face ID, even if it's not the fastest in the market, now that much of the world are wearing masks. They should make it a priority over AirPower for eg. It's a much more essential feature now.

I also never thought of the Asian markets & their typical mask-wearing lifestyles & the potential connection to lower iPhone sales over there. Interesting to see how their sales go once dual biometric authentication comes to the iPhone.
 

The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
16,480
24,241
Wales, United Kingdom
Does FaceID not automatically recognise your face is covered and bring up the passcode? I thought that was a patch Apple had released to help with the pandemic? I don’t own a FaceID phone yet and can’t see it being a huge problem for me as it’s rare I’m in places that require a mask and when I am, I’m not really using my phone
 

bobob

macrumors 68040
Jan 11, 2008
3,437
2,520
Yeah. Pandemic proof their phones. I’m sure that’s high on the list of **** they consider.
I'm sure they're thinking of it now, and other manufacturers who have thought of it are probably reaping some benefits by offering dual authentication.
Do you really believe these other manufacturers thought of pandemic proofing their phones in advance of the pandemic?
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,491
There will be a time where Apple will offer both biometric security options with touch ID/Face ID at some point. The only stipulation I foresee happening, is if Apple only includes both options on the most expensive iPhone Models, which may not be ideal for some consumers.
 

bushman4

macrumors 601
Mar 22, 2011
4,046
3,555
Hopefully Apple now realizes that. IPhones should have both Face and Touch I.D.
Not only in a Pandemic but in normal life such as your iPhone sitting on your desk you can use Touch ID
Apple has received patents for an underscreen scanner so it’s not that the technology doesn’t exist
 
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Bill Av

macrumors 6502
Oct 21, 2006
278
206
Do you really believe these other manufacturers thought of pandemic proofing their phones in advance of the pandemic?

I would say that Samsung offers three alternatives to passwords (face /iris / fingerprint) for exactly this reason. Masks are a common courtesy in some countries.
 
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bigscotal

macrumors 6502
Jun 26, 2008
437
155
UK
It is admittedly a bit of a pain, but I'm willing to bet it's not as much of a pain as wearing a ventilator.

I'll cope with punching in a PIN just fine for now thanks. 👍
 
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Charlie.V

macrumors member
Feb 5, 2019
41
52
London
It’s extra annoying if your passcode is something more secure than a short numeric pin. I’ve seen people on trains here in London taking masks off to unlock iPhones and leaving them off for the rest of their journey. It looks like many places will have many more months of wearing masks. And some people will continue wearing masks out of respect to others after the pandemic so it seems like this this is a problem worth fixing.
 

AnthroMatt

macrumors 6502a
Jun 8, 2011
766
777
Redlands, CA
It’s extra annoying if your passcode is something more secure than a short numeric pin. I’ve seen people on trains here in London taking masks off to unlock iPhones and leaving them off for the rest of their journey. It looks like many places will have many more months of wearing masks. And some people will continue wearing masks out of respect to others after the pandemic so it seems like this this is a problem worth fixing.
For me the annoyance comes not from iOS, as the update that was pushed out earlier this summer made the passcode option come up quickly. My annoyance is with the multitude of apps that also authenticate with FaceID...they do not seem to prompt for a passcode, and in most cases don't even provide the passcode as an option. Since I use all the random generated passwords for sites I have to go into settings, find the password, copy it, then return to the app.
 
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zorinlynx

macrumors G3
May 31, 2007
8,185
17,723
Florida, USA
You have quoted my post from several months ago at which point the WHO were actively advising against the wearing of masks outside of a medical setting.

That bit of early "advice" from the WHO did SO MUCH DAMAGE making people unsure if masks are effective. There is nothing worse than conflicting information.

Hopefully next time there is a situation like this they will SHUT UP until they have enough information to give proper advice.

"They said not to wear masks, then they did! How can we trust them?" I've heard so many varieties of that. If we'd all worn masks from the start, or were simply never told to NOT wear them, this would be nowhere near as bad as it's been.
 

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
5,601
5,953
That bit of early "advice" from the WHO did SO MUCH DAMAGE making people unsure if masks are effective. There is nothing worse than conflicting information.

Hopefully next time there is a situation like this they will SHUT UP until they have enough information to give proper advice.

"They said not to wear masks, then they did! How can we trust them?" I've heard so many varieties of that. If we'd all worn masks from the start, or were simply never told to NOT wear them, this would be nowhere near as bad as it's been.
It’s my guess that they either suspected or knew that masks were effective even early on, but told the public otherwise because of the mask shortage in order to allow more masks to go to front line workers.
 

jamezr

macrumors P6
Aug 7, 2011
15,849
18,423
US
I wear a see through face shield. FaceID works great and it lets me breath better when I’m at the gym too!
 

Ralfi

macrumors 601
Dec 22, 2016
4,329
3,026
Australia
Does FaceID not automatically recognise your face is covered and bring up the passcode? I thought that was a patch Apple had released to help with the pandemic? I don’t own a FaceID phone yet and can’t see it being a huge problem for me as it’s rare I’m in places that require a mask and when I am, I’m not really using my phone
Yep, but the whole advantage of Face ID has been taken back not one (Touch ID) but two steps now since the passcode's required.
 

Coffee_Time

Cancelled
Nov 22, 2017
718
342
LG face ID works perfectly with a mask. It's somehow related to AI learning... And AFAIK LG is supplying Apple with the Z Camera TOF... Try scanning your face with a mask, or add multiple faces... Idk if possible on Apple...
 

Coffee_Time

Cancelled
Nov 22, 2017
718
342
It could possibly be that 3D depth is partially or totally ignored in the LG mask unlock... ? or only the eyes and forehead depth data is used.... Who knows...
 

The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
16,480
24,241
Wales, United Kingdom
Yep, but the whole advantage of Face ID has been taken back not one (Touch ID) but two steps now since the passcode's required.
I suppose for those who are in situations where they wear masks a lot, it’s annoying. I don’t know why Apple didn’t put a TouchID sensor somewhere else on the phone rather than the front. I feel they went down the FaceID route just to bring something new at the time but to be honest it doesn’t bother me how I open my phone. Then again we’d get people complaining that they can’t open their phone with gloves on, so they’ll be annoyance at whatever.
 
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