Face ID not available? Here’s what you need to do!
You’ve just got fat fingers when you want to unlock your iPhone, or maybe you’re wearing gloves against that freezing cold? For those situations, Face ID is ideal! But now, unexpectedly, you suddenly get a message, “Face ID not available. Super annoying! In this blog, we address this problem and cover the following topics:
- How come my Face ID is not available?
- Face ID broken after contact with water
- Face ID no longer works after replacing screen
- Roadmap to make Face ID available again
- Face ID repair options
How come my Face ID is not available?
You get the message “Face ID not available” when the motherboard cannot connect to the Face ID sensor. This can have several causes. Usually the cause is cracks in the iPhone glass (on the front and/or back); If there is a crack right near the Face ID sensor, it may be damaged. When the cracks are not at the sensor, they can still be the culprit: these cracks mean that the device is no longer dust and waterproof. A buildup of dust in the device can prevent the motherboard from connecting to Face ID.
Face ID broken after contact with water
Did you know that if you have dropped your iPhone and there is no visible damage, your device is still not completely waterproof? Thus, your defective Face ID may have been caused by contact with water, even if you don’t have any cracks in your screen. Just one drop of water needs to have penetrated past the ear speaker (this cable is connected to the FaceID) and this can already cause a short circuit. Water damage on this cable can cause the iPhone to enter a bootloop. The only solution in this case is a repair.
Face ID no longer works after replacing screen
Your iPhone just underwent a screen repair, and now Face ID is unavailable. That sucks big time. The Face ID cable is attached to the screen and must be transferred to the new screen when repairing with a non-original Apple screen, while transferring the cable may be damaged. If this is the case after a repair at ThePhoneLab, we will always take a look at it free of charge.
Roadmap to make Face ID available again
There are a few things you can try before proceeding with a repair (when your iPhone has no other visible damage).
- Check that you have the latest version of iOS installed. Go to Settings ▸ General ▸ Software update.
- Be careful not to (partially) cover your face. Face ID does not work when the eyes, mouth or nose are covered.
- Make sure the TrueDepth camera is not covered. Some screen protectors can cause Face ID to not work as well. Also check that the TrueDepth camera is not dirty and clean it with a microfiber cloth.
- Looking closely into the TrueDepth camera (top of the iPhone screen), hold the iPhone straight up and make sure it is within an arm’s length of the face (25-50 cm).
- Restart your iPhone
- Reset the Face ID. Go to Settings ▸ Face ID and access code ▸ Enter access code ▸ Reset Face ID ▸ Follow the on-screen steps.
Face ID repair options
A Face ID repair is complex because this is a motherboard repair. One of our specialists can only get your Face ID working again through a motherboard repair. We operate a no cure, no pay principle. If we can’t fix your Face ID, you don’t have to pay anything. Check out the price of a motherboard repair for your iPhone here.
Make an appointment for a free diagnosis
Unfortunately, did the above steps not help you with your problem: Face ID not available? We then recommend going to a professional repair shop (for example, ThePhoneLab – check here for a branch near you). At ThePhoneLab, we always do a free diagnostic first. After this, you are not required to proceed to repair, but of course you can. Make your appointment here:
