Unlock with your face

Before using face matching

Keep in mind that:

  • If your phone has been locked for more than 4 hours, face matching won't work until you first unlock with another method.
  • Looking at your phone can unlock it, even when you don't intend to.
  • Your phone can be unlocked by someone who looks a lot like you.
  • Your phone can be unlocked by someone else if it's held up to your face while your eyes are open. Keep your phone in a safe place. To prepare for unsafe situations, you can turn on lockdown.

Set up face matching

  1. Make sure you have set a screen lock on the phone.
  2. Go to Settings > Security > Face unlock.
  3. Unlock your phone.
  4. Follow the onscreen instructions. Be sure to frame your entire face with the outline.

    Face matching data is stored securely on the phone.

  5. Select face unlock options.

Whenever you turn on or wake the phone, it will search for your face and unlock the screen when it recognises you.

Unlock your phone

Show your face to the lock screen.

If it doesn't recognise you, it stays locked and displays one of these icons.

IconHow to unlock
Use your password, PIN or pattern
Use the fingerprint sensor

Turn off face matching

  1. Go to Settings > Security > Face unlock.
  2. Unlock the screen, then:

    • To turn if off temporarily, switch the slider off .
    • To remove your face data, tap Delete recorded face.

Fix an issue

If you're having trouble getting the phone to recognise your face:

  1. Go to Settings > Security > Face unlock.
  2. Unlock your phone, then tap Delete recorded face.
  3. Tap Remove.
  4. Make sure that you are in a well lit environment. Avoid low light, strong light and backlit environments to ensure that the face image is clear.
  5. Tap Add face data and follow onscreen instructions to set it up again.