Oliver Haslam on November 18, 2021, 9:26 pm

iOS 15.2 Will No Longer Break iPhone 13 Face ID When Screens Are Replaced

Apple is currently testing iOS 15.2 with developers and public beta testers, but one of its new features is something that will be more interesting to repair shops than actual users.

According to a new report, iOS 15.2 ensures that replacing an iPhone 13’s screen no longer breaks Face ID.

For those unfamiliar, iPhone 13 devices now have a microcontroller attached to their screens. Replacing a screen meant that the microcontroller either needed to be reprogrammed or transplanted, with neither process being an easy one and the former being impossible if repair shops aren’t officially affiliated with Apple. If nothing was done, the screen would work — but Face ID didn’t. But as of iOS 15.2, that’s all going to change.

According to UK repair shop iCorrect, installing the iOS 15.2 beta means that swapping a display no longer breaks Face ID. There is, however, still a warning message that pops up but everything works fine — hopefully that’s a message that will also be removed.

This news comes as Apple also announced a new Self Repair Program that allows people to order parts and tools so they can carry out repairs at home. The program, which kicks off with iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 handsets, will begin next year. This latest iOS 15.2 move is presumably in part designed to help facilitate at-home screen swaps.