Face ID: how does it work and what does it serve?

IPhone X, one of the three new smartphones presented by Apple this Tuesday, includes among its main features Face ID, a biometric system based on facial recognition that allows to perform functions on the device as unlock or make payments.

Face ID uses a TrueDepth camera system consisting of a spot projector, an infrared camera and an IR illuminator. Through its Aion Bionic processor, iPhone X creates a map and is able to recognize a face accurately, the company said in a statement.

Using this technology, the user can perform tasks such as unlocking the iPhone, enabling Apple Pay or accessing protected apps, among others.

Face ID projects more than 30,000 invisible IR points. The IR image and dot pattern pass through the neural networks to create a mathematical model of the face, and the data is sent to the Secure Enclave to confirm the match. Through auto-learning technology, Face ID adapts to physical changes in appearance that may occur over time.

All stored face information is protected in the Secure Enclave to maintain a high level of security, while processing is performed on the device, not the cloud, to protect the user’s privacy.

Face ID only unlocks the iPhone X when its owner looks at it, while trained neural networks prevent intrusion with photos or masks.