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To temporarily stop Face ID from unlocking your iPhone, hold the side button and either volume button for about two seconds. When the sliders appear, press the side button once to lock the phone. The next time you unlock it with your passcode, Face ID is enabled again; there is no need to reset your Face ID setup. Apple’s iPhone user guide documents this procedure.

Temporarily require your passcode instead of Face ID

  1. Press and hold the side button and either volume button for about two seconds.
  2. When the sliders appear, press the side button once. This locks the iPhone immediately.
  3. To use Face ID again, unlock the iPhone with your passcode. Apple says Face ID is enabled again after that passcode unlock.

If you do not press the side button after the sliders appear, Apple says the phone locks automatically if its screen is not touched for about a minute.

Avoid starting Emergency SOS

The side-button-and-volume-button combination is also used for Emergency SOS. Apple’s SOS instructions say to keep holding the buttons until the sliders appear and the countdown ends, then release; that can start an emergency call. For the temporary Face ID lock, hold for about two seconds, then press the side button as soon as the sliders appear to lock the phone instead. See Apple’s Emergency SOS instructions.

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Choose the right Face ID setting for your goal

Stop Face ID temporarily

Use the button sequence above when you want the next unlock to require your passcode without removing your Face ID setup.

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Disable Face ID setup

To remove the configured Face ID setup, open Settings > Face ID & Passcode and tap Reset Face ID. This is separate from temporarily locking the phone. Apple describes the setup and its options in its Face ID user guide.

Turn off Face ID for selected functions

In Settings > Face ID & Passcode, review the individual options for what Face ID can be used for, including Password AutoFill. This changes which functions use Face ID rather than temporarily requiring a passcode for unlocking.

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Protect a lost or stolen iPhone

If your iPhone is lost or stolen, use Find My to turn on Lost Mode. Apple says Lost Mode prevents Face ID from being used to unlock the device. Follow Apple’s instructions for marking a device as lost in Find My.

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Attention settings are different

Face ID attention settings affect how authentication or attention behavior works; they do not replace the temporary lock-and-passcode procedure. Apple explains these options in its Face ID and attention settings guidance.

Quick Recap

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