A Face ID test checks whether iOS can complete a biometric authentication request. It does not expose a raw image from the TrueDepth system or certify that a replacement component is original.
Run an authentication attempt
- Confirm that Face ID is set up in Settings → Face ID & Passcode on your own iPhone.
- Open Hardware → Face ID in Device Status⁺.
- Use the page’s authentication test control.
- Hold the phone at a normal unlocking distance with the front sensor area unobstructed.
- Look at the phone and complete the system prompt.
On a phone you are inspecting with its owner, ask the enrolled owner to perform the test. Do not request their passcode.
Interpret the outcome
Successful authentication means the biometric request succeeded at that moment. Cancellation, no enrolled face, permission restrictions and a temporary biometric lockout are different from hardware failure.
After repeated unsuccessful attempts, iOS may require the device passcode before biometrics become available again. Let the owner handle that system step, then retry only if appropriate.
What if the device has Touch ID?
A model without Face ID does not need to pass a Face ID check. Check the authentication capability appropriate to that model.
If recognition keeps failing with the enrolled owner under normal conditions, compare with ordinary device unlocking and follow any message in Settings. For a wider inspection, see the used iPhone checklist.
Ready to try it?
Device Status⁺ · Monitor and test your iPhone hardware
Free on the App Store