When Apple removed the physical Home button and Touch ID from the iPhone, they replaced it with Face ID—a complex array of infrared cameras and dot projectors that securely map the 3D geometry of your face.
By default, Face ID is designed for a single user. However, if you share a household tablet (like an iPad Pro) with your spouse, or if you regularly ask your partner to check your iPhone for text messages while you are driving, having to shout your passcode across the room defeats the convenience of biometric security. Apple solves this by allowing you to register a second, alternative face.
How to Set Up an Alternative Appearance
Apple officially calls this feature an “Alternative Appearance.” While it was originally designed to help the iPhone recognize you if you drastically change your daily look (like wearing heavy theatrical makeup, thick sunglasses, or a large hat), it works flawlessly for registering a completely different human being.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Face ID & Passcode.
- You will be prompted to type in your 6-digit numerical passcode to access this highly secure menu.
- Scroll down the main panel and tap the blue text that reads Set Up an Alternative Appearance.
The Scanning Process
At this point, you must hand the iPhone over to the second person (your partner, spouse, or trusted family member). They must complete the scanning process themselves.
- The screen will display a circular camera frame. The second person must position their face directly in the centre of the frame.
- They must slowly rotate their head in a large circle, ensuring all angles of their face are captured by the infrared scanner.
- The circle on the screen will fill with green lines as the scan completes.
- The iPhone will ask them to perform the circular motion a second time to verify the 3D data.
- Once finished, a green checkmark will appear, and the phone will announce “Face ID is Now Set Up.” Tap Done.
Important Security Considerations
Before adding a second person to your iPhone, you must understand the security implications. Face ID is an all-or-nothing system.
By adding their face, that person now has the exact same biometric privileges that you do. They can unlock the phone instantly, authorize Apple Pay transactions, download new apps from the App Store, and automatically autofill all of your saved web passwords in Safari.
Furthermore, you cannot delete just the second face later. If you and your partner break up, or you no longer want them to have access to your device, there is no “Delete Alternative Appearance” button. You must tap Reset Face ID, which permanently deletes both your face and theirs. You will then have to scan your own face again from scratch to restore your personal access.