Face ID and biometric scanning are now mainstream. The launch of Apple’s iPhone X put security front and center. Manufacturers are scrambling to catch up to the iPhone. There are apps with facial scanning but not as sophisticated as the iPhone X.
Apple has incorporated facial scanning throughout their product line. The scan can unlock downloaded apps and ApplePay is also participating in the transformation. With certain retailers, you can check out by looking at an installed face scanner.
Face Id is the ultimate form of recognition, just like fingerprint security. The process analyzes individual features and converts those biometric features into computer algorithms. The iPhone X generates a mathematical reproduction of your face. Starting with your first login, the iPhone sets up the original scan. All subsequent logins are measured to this original. Patience is a virtue while setting up your initial scan.
TrueDepth Camera
The entire security system of your phone starts with Apple’s amazing TrueDepth Camera. Depth mapping is utilized when examining your face and there are eight separate functions of the camera which allows for facial scanning. You must face directly at your phone for the Face ID to work.
Biometric identifiers are used to construct the original ID. These identifiers are physiological characteristics. The shape of the face, is it more round or oval? What is the relative size of your chin or nose? How close are your eyes and what color? These are just a few of the structural characteristics that Biometric scanning refers too.
The original scan is not stored in the operating system. Instead, it becomes part of the A11 Biometric chip. The initial scan is impossible to share, even with Apple servers. The company asserts there is virtually no way to bypass the system. When logging into your phone utilizing face ID, the system cannot be tricked. Even identical twins cannot access the system.
Adapting to Change
The original scan of your face is integral to the future success or failure of the security system. There are two modules used to produce the scan. The first module projects a grid onto your face. This grid consists of more than 30,000 infrared dots, generating a 3D map of your physiological identifiers. The second module confirms your identity by matching to the original embedded scan. A secure enclave in the A11 chip is where the initial scan is stored. Hackers always try to find ways around the Face ID scan with next to zero results.
The face ID system is not a photograph, and it will not work if your eyes are closed. The iPhone X adapts to changing details and the embedded neural network learns over time. If you get a haircut or start wearing glasses, the Biometric A11 chip remembers this and makes those adjustments. The basic structure of your face never changes. Physical attributes, such as the shape of your head and the length of your nose, is the original scan embedded into the A11 chip.
The iPhone X includes a Require Attention feature. This function means you must show the iPhone you are cognizant of the scan. This is the reason why you must be facing straight at the screen to log in. This convenient feature prevents others from scanning your face while you sleep or merely are unaware of the scan. Apple’s Facial ID scanning system works exceptionally well to identify only your face.