Apple suggests a strange solution to Face ID problems: report

Is your iPhone X's Face ID system malfunctioning? It might have something to do with the rear camera.

This is according to a recent update in Apple's service policy, obtained by MacRumors.

"In order to provide the best customer experience, if a customer reports that their iPhone X is having Face ID issues, you may be able to resolve the issue with a rear camera repair," Apple's instructions to personnel say.

It's unclear what type of Face ID issues Apple is referring to here, and the company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. It's interesting to see that a rear camera repair might fix whatever's going on, because Apple's face recognition feature is primarily handled by the device's front-facing TrueDepth camera.

If the rear camera repair does not fix the issue, Apple suggests that the entire unit should be replaced (as opposed to merely replacing the display).

We haven't seen any widespread reports of malfunctioning Face ID, but there's a fair amount of complaints about a variety of Face ID issues on Apple's Communities page.

While the iPhone X has avoided any "bendgate"-level crises, it's had its share of problems. One reported bug affected the phone's ability to receive phone calls, while another made its screen unresponsive in very cold conditions.