Don't download Apple's most recent iOS 15 beta. That’s the warning coming from users who have downloaded the iOS 15 update after it reportedly caused Face ID to stop working for them.
People using iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro models of smartphones have turned to social media to vent their frustrations (opens in new tab), saying that after downloading the beta update Face ID stopped working. Then, when they went to reset Face ID to see if that would solve the problem, they were shown an error message saying ‘Face ID Is Not Available' (via MacRumors (opens in new tab)).
It’s not clear if other iPhones with Face ID (which includes the iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13, as well as their respective Pro and mini versions) are impacted by the issue, but just to be safe we’d recommend steering clear of the latest iOS 15 beta for now.
Thankfully though, if you're already affected by this Face ID issue there may be a fix. Some users who were experiencing the problem have said that downloading iOS 16 solved it.
Analysis: why not just update to iOS 16?
If iOS 16 is available to download, and installing it can solve this iOS 15 glitch, why wouldn’t users go straight for Apple’s latest software?
For one, iOS 16 isn’t perfect itself yet, as is often the case for new software. Case in point – some iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro users had issues with FaceTime and iMessage (core phone features) until Apple released a patch and fixed them. A previous error also saw the iPhone’s camera not working properly, again until Apple fixed it.
iOS 15, on the other hand, is a pretty stable release now, having been available for over a year, so this latest issue notwithstanding, some users may want to stick with it until Apple can work out the main kinks with iOS 16.
Other users may not want to install the latest update for fear that it will worsen their iPhone’s performance.
Operating system updates are designed primarily with the latest hardware in mind, so they won’t be as well optimized for older devices. As such people using older iPhones may find that their systems are slower after updating them to the latest version of iOS.
Lastly, there will be some people that would love to benefit from iOS 16’s new features, but their smartphones are just too old. Handsets like the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, and original iPhone SE are all iOS 15 compatible, but haven’t made the cut for iOS 16 compatibility. As such, these users – who want to keep using their old phone for one reason or another – will rely on these updates to older iOS software to ensure their devices are secure.
Hopefully, Apple will fix this and any other iOS 15 glitches before the update leaves beta, but after that don’t expect too many more iOS 15 updates – we wouldn’t be surprised if 15.7.1. Is the last iOS 15 version unless a major issue arises.
If you're worried about your older iPhone losing iOS support – and the security issue that can bring – then you might want to check out one of our picks for the best iPhone you can buy today so you can find a newer model that's right for you.
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