With iOS 11.3, iPhone X owners will be able to approve kids' purchases with Face ID
Apple is about to make it much easier for parents to approve their children's purchases.
With iOS 11.3, parents will finally be able to use FaceID, rather than a passcode, to approve transactions. The feature was first spotted by 9to5Mac.
After downloading the update, you'll have to sign in with your Apple ID and password the first time you approve a purchase. After doing that, you'll be given the option to enable FaceID for purchase approval.
Once you select "Enable," you'll be able to approve your kids' purchases just by looking at your phone. While it has always been possible to approve purchases using Touch ID on older devices, this is the first time iPhone X users will be able to approve with Face ID instead of a code or password.
Though FaceID is currently exclusive to the iPhone X, it will likely ship with future iPhones as well. Samsung recently released a powerful chip that hints at similar facial-recognition technology (although Samsung debuted a similar, if less secure, tech in the Galaxy S8).
The sooner Apple's FaceID can put itself in the front and center of its users lives, the more it will stand out from its oncoming competitors. Purchase approval is a big step in that direction.
iOS 11.3 is expected to roll out this Spring. To update to iOS 11.3, go to Settings > General > Software Update and select "Download and Install."
Topics iPhone
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
