Following blowback from repair providers unhappy with an apparent new restriction in that replacing the iPhone 13 display restricts the Face ID function, Apple has changed its policy regarding the repair. In an interview with The Verge, the company stated that it plans to introduce a software update that will allow for standard display repairs that do not disable Face ID.
With the iPhone 13 models, Apple added a small microcontroller that pairs the iPhone 13 to its display. When performing a display repair, this microcontroller must be paired to the new display using Apple’s tools, which independent repair shops do not have access to. Without this pairing process, swapping an iPhone 13 display with a new display results in an error message that says “Unable to activate Face ID on this iPhone.”
While repair shop without access to these pairing tools could take the microcontroller from the original display and add it to the new display, it’s a tricky process that requires both soldering and a microscope to perform.
Apple’s intended software update will remove the restriction that requires the microcontroller to be transferred to the new display, thereby allowing independent shops to be able to repair screens without impacting the functionality of Face ID.
There’s no official word as to when Apple will release the software update, although iOS 15.2 is in beta testing at the current time and the feature could be introduced in that update.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.