Troubleshooting iPhone X Face ID Not Working ‘Move iPhone a Little Lower/Higher’
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 4 Steps
With Face ID taking center stage on the iPhone X to 11 series, it's no surprise that Face ID hiccups are becoming a common guest at the repair party. Our earlier Face ID teardown video gave you a peek into how delicate this feature really is—it's like trying to fix a fine piece of art! If it's just the flex cable acting up, that’s a breeze. But according to the smart folks at REWA who handle chip-level motherboard repairs, most Face ID troubles stem from the Flood Illuminator or Dot Projector getting a bit too cozy with damage, and sadly, those aren’t fixable. If you ever find yourself in a jam, don’t hesitate to schedule a repair!
Step 1
- If your phone keeps giving you that cheeky message: ‘move iPhone a little lower/higher’ while you're setting up Face ID, don’t sweat it! Let’s kick things off with the Flood Illuminator, a little gem in our repair toolkit.
- In our daily adventures in repair land, we’ll put the Proximity Sensor and the Ambient Light Sensor to the test to see if the Flood Illuminator is doing its job like a champ.
- Let's make a quick phone call to check if the Proximity Sensor is functioning as it should. And guess what? It's working just fine!
Step 2
- Now, give the Ambient Light Sensor a quick check. Looks like it's doing its job just fine.
- Based on this, the Face ID issue isn't coming from the Flood Illuminator.
Step 3
- Alright, let’s dive into the next fun phase of troubleshooting Face ID – time to check out those front camera components!
- Open up your camera app and switch it to Portrait Mode. If the background is still sharp and not all dreamy, we’ve got a little hiccup on our hands.
Step 4
The infrared camera, flood illuminator, and dot projector work together as a team to make Face ID function properly. If one of them takes a hit, Face ID might stop working, and unfortunately, that’s not something we can fix. If you're stuck with this issue, feel free to schedule a repair.
- When you're in Portrait Mode, and that little red light from the Dot Projector is MIA, it's a sign we've got a bit of trouble.
- Looks like the Dot Projector is throwing in the towel – it's officially malfunctioned.
- Unfortunately, this is the issue, and it's not something we can fix. But hey, don’t worry! If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
