If you change screens without going through Apple, Face ID will no longer work

According to two smartphone repair professionals, changing the screen on iPhone 13 by a third-party repairer will result in the inability to use Face ID.

iPhone 13 Pro score // Source: Louise Audry for Numerama

Program launchiPhone 13 It doesn’t come without its share of inconveniences like Difficulties some users have had to unlock iPhone using their Apple Watch.

Recently, YouTuber Phone Repair Guru, who specializes in phone disassembly videos to better explain the repair process, identified a particularly annoying concern for anyone wishing to change their iPhone 13 screen.

screen problem

He explains in his video that any change to the screen on the iPhone 13 was not done by An apple Directly that would cause Face ID to stop working.

Lian YouTubeSubscribe to Frandroid

On his repair bench, with two unlocked iPhone 13s, he can be seen presenting the various sensors needed for the proper operation of the Apple brand’s face unlock technology. He even went so far as to swap out the sensors to prove that they weren’t what got in the way of Face ID.

“If you go to a non-Apple repairer, you will lose Face ID”

Because, after a few minutes, when it comes to exchanging screens, Face ID does not work. Then he tries to reconfigure it in the phone settings, but the phone tells him: “Face ID not available”, without further details.

iPhone 13 design doesn’t change much // Source: Apple

Its conclusion is simple: “If you go to a repairer other than Apple, you will lose Face ID.”

The videographer believes this blockage is caused by two epic slides at the bottom of the screen. He explains that while it can still be swapped from one device to another, the process is too complicated for any phone repairer.

One hope remains: Apple will update its phone to fix the problem. But nothing is less certain.

iFixit also sees the problem

But YouTube isn’t the only one making this observation in its corner. In turn, the popular repair advice site iFixit allowed the lure of the process during one of the famous disassembly in order, which is enough to support the first point. And iFixit’s verdict isn’t much better.

Face ID works even when we separate the front sensor assembly. However, any screen replacement deactivates Face ID. We tried moving the sensors from the old screen and moving the Face ID, but it didn’t work. The screen appears to be sequentially locked on the phone.

For this reason, but also for other concerns like the difficulty that replacing the glass on the back can be, the site therefore gives a 5/10 rating on the repairability of the last one from Apple.

After applying the repairability index to smartphones, tablets and laptops (among other things), France can already congratulate itself on some impressive successes. iFixit representative highlights these signs…
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