Apple Backtracks On Breaking Face ID After Third-Party iPhone 13 Screen Replacements

The other day, iFixit confirmed that doing a DIY replacement of the iPhone 13’s display or sending it to an unauthorized third-party repair store would essentially break Face ID and make it no longer work. Naturally this received a lot of backlash, but it seems that Apple has decided to backtrack on their decision.

This is according to a report from The Verge who reports that Apple told them that they will be addressing this issue via a software update. With this software update, users will be able to add a new display to the phone without needing to transfer the microcontroller, which was kind of the main component that would have caused Face ID to fail.

During iFixit’s teardown, they discovered that the iPhone 13’s display is paired using the microcontroller. As official repair shops have access to proprietary software that syncs up the serial numbers of components, it allows them to perform screen replacements that would allow Face ID to continue working.

iFixit notes that users can attempt to desolder the microcontroller, but since it’s difficult and troublesome, not many users or third-party stores might have the know-how or bother with it. However, with this change from Apple, it should no longer pose a problem. Apple did not specify when the update is expected to arrive, but hopefully it will be in the near future.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: face id, iPhone, iphone 13, Security