iPhone lets you register up to two faces in Face ID, so another person can unlock your phone or you can use a different angle of your own face

Face ID stores facial data locally on your iPhone's find chip, not on Apple's servers. When you add a second face, the phone learns and recognizes both faces equally. Either face will unlock the device, authorize payments, or access password-protected apps. You do not need a second iPhone or any special equipment — just the Settings app and about two minutes.

The second face can belong to a family member, a partner, or a trusted person who regularly uses your phone. Some people register their own face twice with slightly different angles or lighting conditions, though this is less common since Face ID adapts to changes in appearance over time.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings, Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, then tap "Add Another Face" to register a second person or face.
  • The second face has the same access level as the first — both can unlock the phone, approve payments, and access all Face ID-protected features.
  • Face ID works best when the person holds the phone 10 to 20 inches from their face and moves their head slowly in a circle during setup.
  • You can delete either face at any time from the same Face ID settings screen without affecting the other.

Step-by-step: adding a second face

Open Settings on your iPhone and tap Face ID & Passcode. You will be asked to enter your passcode — this is a security step to prevent someone else from adding their face without permission. After you enter the passcode, you will see your current face listed, usually labeled "Face 1" or with your name if you set a custom label.

Tap "Add Another Face" at the bottom of the Face ID section. The camera will set up and guide the second person through the enrollment process. They should hold the phone 10 to 20 inches from their face, in good lighting, and move their head slowly in a circle as the phone scans their face. The process takes about 15 to 20 seconds. When the scan is complete, the phone will ask them to move their head again to capture additional angles — this second scan ensures Face ID works even if they are wearing glasses, a hat, or have changed their appearance slightly since the first scan.

Once both scans finish, the new face is registered and active when ready. You can label this face with a name or leave it as "Face 2" — the label is just for your reference and does not affect how Face ID works.

What the second face can and cannot do

The second registered face has identical permissions to the first. Both faces unlock the phone, authorize Apple Pay transactions, confirm App Store purchases, and access any app or feature that uses Face ID for authentication. There is no way to restrict the second face to certain apps or features — Face ID does not have permission levels.

If you want one person to have limited access, Face ID is not the right tool. You would need to use a separate user account (available on iPad but not iPhone) or rely on a passcode that only you know. Face ID works on an all-or-nothing basis: if a face is registered, it has full access.

Lighting and positioning matter for reliable recognition

Face ID works best when the person enrolls in the lighting conditions where they will most often use the phone. If someone primarily uses the phone indoors under bright overhead lights, they should enroll in that setting. If they use it outdoors or in dim light, enrolling in those conditions helps the phone recognize them faster and more reliably later.

Glasses, sunglasses, hats, and masks affect Face ID differently depending on when they were worn during enrollment. If the second person wears glasses every day, they should wear them during the enrollment scan. If they sometimes wear them and sometimes do not, Face ID will still work either way, but recognition may be slightly slower when their appearance differs most from the enrollment scan.

Removing a face if you change your mind

Return to Settings, Face ID & Passcode, and enter your passcode. You will see both registered faces listed. Tap "Edit" in the top right corner, then tap the red minus sign next to the face you want to remove. Confirm the deletion by tapping "Delete." The removed face will no longer unlock the phone or authorize any transactions.

Deleting one face does not affect the other — the remaining face continues to work normally. You can add and remove faces as many times as you want without any impact on your phone's performance or security.

When Face ID fails to recognize the second face

If the second face is not being recognized consistently, the most common cause is a poor enrollment scan. Ask the person to re-enroll: go back to Settings, Face ID & Passcode, delete the face that is not working, and add it again. This time, make sure they are in good lighting, hold the phone at the right distance, and move their head slowly and deliberately during both scans.

If Face ID still does not recognize them after a fresh enrollment, check whether they are wearing something different from what they wore during enrollment — a new pair of glasses, a hat, or significant facial hair growth can slow recognition. Face ID adapts over time, so if you use the phone regularly with the same appearance, it will learn and improve. If recognition remains unreliable after a week of regular use, the phone may have a hardware issue and should be checked by Apple Support.

Face ID security with two registered faces

Registering two faces does not weaken the security of Face ID itself. Each face is stored as encrypted data on your phone's find Enclave, a separate chip that does not connect to the internet. Apple cannot see your face data, and neither can anyone else unless they have physical access to your unlocked phone.

The trade-off is that you are trusting two people instead of one. If you register someone else's face, they can unlock your phone, access your messages, approve payments, and use any app without entering a passcode. Choose the second face carefully, and remove it if your relationship with that person changes or if you no longer want them to have this level of access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add more than two faces to one iPhone?

No. iPhone supports a maximum of two faces in Face ID. If you need to register a third person, you must delete one of the existing faces first. iPad supports up to five faces, but iPhones are limited to two.

Will adding a second face slow down Face ID?

No. Face ID recognition speed is not affected by having one or two faces registered. The phone processes both faces equally fast and unlocks as soon as it recognizes either one.

What happens if I forget which face is which?

You can label each face with a custom name in the Face ID settings. Tap the face you want to rename and select "Edit Name" to change it from "Face 1" or "Face 2" to something more descriptive. The label is only visible to you in Settings.

Can I add a face if I do not know the passcode?

No. You must enter your passcode before you can add, remove, or change any Face ID settings. This prevents someone from adding their face to your phone without your knowledge or permission.

Does the second face need to be a real person?

Face ID is designed to recognize human faces. It will not reliably recognize a photo, a mask, or a drawing. If you try to enroll something that is not a real face, the phone will either refuse to complete the scan or the enrollment will fail during use.