A number of iPhone users are reporting issues with their device’s Face ID capabilities following an update to iOS 16. While it is unclear how many users are actually affected, it does not appear to be a widespread issue.
As first reported by AppleInsider, in a Reddit thread first started two months ago, a growing number of users have reported that updating to iOS 16 has resulted in Face ID stopping working afterward. The thread’s original poster shared an error message that said, “Face ID is not available, try setting up Face ID later.”
The thread was initiated in the iPhone X subreddit, although one user reported the issue with their iPhone 13 Pro Max. On Redditor said they took their iPhone to an Apple Store, where the Genius claimed it was a hardware error.
Meanwhile, an Apple customer posted in the company’s community forums on October 27, saying that they updated to iOS 16.1 and found that Face ID no longer worked. Rebooting the device and even resetting Face ID didn’t seem to resolve the issue.
In early October, users on Reddit and Twitter complained that some iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro models and possibly other iPhones were affected.
Apple does have a support page listing steps to take if Face ID isn’t working on an iPhone or iPad Pro. However, this is a general support page and doesn’t directly address this specific Face ID error.