Apple update to enable FaceID after iPhone 13 screen repair

After criticism, Apple will now allow third party screen repair on iPhone 13

Apple's new iPhone line-up - iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max - has proven to be immensely successful but has faced some stern criticism from third-party repair shops.

On the iPhone 13, if you get a screen replacement from a third-party rather than Apple's authorised centre's, you may find yourself without a working FaceID. As iFixit conveyed in its report, this happens due to a tiny control chip in the flex cables that connect the screen to the motherboard.

Repair shops not part of Apple's recognised network would then have to resort to soldering, to move the chip over to the new screen. This made common screen repairs unreasonably difficult and Apple was accused of deliberately resorting to locks that force repair shops into Apple's Independent Repair Program.

Apple has now confirmed to The Verge, it is working on a software update that will allow FaceID to operate on the phones without the need to transfer the control chip. This will make screen replacements, a much more simplified process.

After the initial report broke out, Apple had faced widespread criticism over the move with iFixit's Kevin Purdy calling the lock, "the strongest case yet for right to repair laws."

"This unprecedented lockdown is unique to Apple. It’s totally new in the iPhone 13, and hard to understand as a security measure, given that the Face ID illuminator is entirely separate from the screen," Purdy had written.

The "Right to Repair" movement started as companies began locking down devices, using methods that seemed designed to push customers towards authorised service centres.