Almost anywhere you go nowadays, you see everyone wearing a face mask. Not seeing a full face seems to be the new normal… along with washing your hands 3,475 times a day. Apple, staying ahead of this debacle of 2020, has been working on an update that will make using the Face ID easier to use while wearing a mask.

This break-thru comes courtesy of it’s iOS 13.5 update. Apple plans to release the iOS 13.5 and iPad 13.5 GM to developers while the public can expect a release soon.

The way this update works is Face ID will recognize when someone is wearing a mask and will bypass that function in favor of the passcode screen. Users should keep in mind that the Face ID tool will not unlock the phone until they have removed their mask, thus making for a speedy process to access the passcode on their device. The feature will also work with any program requiring a password on your Apple device as well, including the App Store, App Books, iTunes etc.

A bit of exciting news to go along with the update is Apple’s COVID-19 exposure notification API. The way this works is when two people are in close range of each other, their Bluetooth will detect it and send an anonymous identifier. Another important note is if an individual is diagnosed with COVID-19, their device will create a list of everybody that they’ve been in contact with and send it to the cloud. The second individual’s phone will receive a list of everyone that has tested positive in their area and will be prompted to contact health professionals if a match occurs.

Check back as new details develop.