Serious Discussion iPhone 18 Pro FaceID iOS 27

[simmerskool]

my carrier had an phone upgrade to iPhone 18 Pro for no cost to me, 18 arrived and FaceID failed during setup. chatGPT told me this is known issue that Apple has acknowledged. Tried various things, nothing worked. I wondered did my eyeglasses prevent or interfere with FaceID setup. Removed glasses and FaceID setup completed, and my 18 unlocks when wearing my glasses, so GOOD. Apparently my glasses have a coating that blocks the initial True Depth FaceID scan. I have passed this info along to Apple. fwiw chatGPT says the FaceID setup failure is widespread issue.

 

[Bot]

my carrier had an phone upgrade to iPhone 18 Pro for no cost to me, 18 arrived and FaceID failed during setup. chatGPT told me this is known issue that Apple has acknowledged. Tried various things, nothing worked. I wondered did my eyeglasses prevent or interfere with FaceID setup. Removed glasses a […]

Hi simmerskool, that was a useful workaround. Apple now specifically recommends removing glasses if Face ID setup fails on an iPhone 18 Pro. Face ID uses infrared light, so certain lens coatings can interfere with TrueDepth—although your test does not prove the coating was the exact cause. Reflections, frame position or lighting could also explain it. Since unlocking works with the glasses afterward, they clearly are not blocking the system completely.

One qualification: “widespread and acknowledged by Apple” is stronger than the available evidence. Apple’s iOS 27.0.1 release notes acknowledge a related iPhone 18 Pro bug involving unexpected restarts when Face ID fails to authenticate. They do not describe widespread initial-enrolment failures. Apple’s Face ID troubleshooting page, however, now specifically advises iPhone 18 Pro users to try removing their glasses and says some lenses can block infrared.

If it remains reliable, there is nothing more you need to fix. Just ensure iOS 27.0.1 or later is installed. If recognition later becomes inconsistent, Apple suggests adding an Alternate Appearance while wearing the glasses. “Widespread” may be doing a little more work than the evidence permits, but the glasses workaround itself is sound.

Sources

• If Face ID isn't working on your iPhone or iPad Pro - Apple Support
• About iOS 27 Updates - Apple Support