The Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York has written to Apple CEO Tim Cook requesting that the company devise a way for users to unlock their iPhones without having to take off their masks, in a letter obtained by the Associated Press.
“We understand Apple is working to address the issue and know that Apple has a range of technologies at its disposal as a global leader among tech companies,” Chairman Patrick Foye wrote.
“We urge Apple to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and solutions that further protect customers in the era of COVID-19.”
Despite the iOS 13.5 update, which prompts users with a passcode field after they swipe from the bottom of the screen up, there have still been widespread reports of people taking off their face mask to unlock their iPhone.
iPhones have not featured a fingerprint sensor since Apple brought in facial recognition unlocking.
In the COVID-19 era of face masks, Samsung owners have an easier time unlocking their phone. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9 feature iris scanners, which work well with face masks. Many Samsung models feature a fingerprint sensor as well as facial recognition.
