I’m surprised the setup process for every new iPhone still asks whether you want to use FaceID with a mask when 99+% of people aren’t wearing face masks any more. There are lots of features that a small percentage of people use, but they don’t get asked in the device setup process.
@gruber Because it is easier to do it up front than have people dig around in settings when they do feel they want to use it with a mask. Also a mask could mean scarfs, etc in colder places.
@gruber Today was the first day in a while that I wasn’t feeling too healthy and decided to don a mask. So happy I had the feature enabled from 2 years ago :P
@gruber Most people aren't wearing mask now. Difficult to predict what will happen as we go into respiratory viral this season. There will be an not insignificant portion of people wearing masks regularly, not the least of which will be healthcare workers.
@gruber It mitigates a limitation of FaceID that always existed to a degree and always will. Even if you only consider the US, nurses, woodworkers, spray painters have and will keep wearing masks, why introduce a regression for them. Also all the things already said by others about how COVID’s not over.
@gruber@gretyl I think for something that is literally one tap and is highly unlikely that people who need it would be aware of if it weren’t part of the setup justifies it staying in the setup.
@gruber “I’m surprised the setup process for every new Mac still asks whether you want to use Accessibility features.” About the same percentage, yet Apple persists in exposing accessibility features. (Masking is closer to 5% where I am.)
@gruber Mask wearing has and continues to be big in China regardless of COVID. Seems more than a small percentage of users in that group alone. Why remove it now it’s there anyway?
@gruber I'm in the US and wear an N95 anytime I'm indoors with other people. I hate to admit your 99% figure is probably accurate for the US, though. But certainly not for Asia. Covid has not just become a cold as people think. Even at a superficial level, people never got colds this often. The initial infection, like HIV, can be mild, but that is only the foothold. Like HIV it's immune system-damaging. It can cause long term havoc on the body in many cases, and is one of only three known viruses to be able to bind to ACE2 receptors which is why it can cause such varied damage throughout the entire body. Respirators (not the "baggy blues" surgical masks) do work. Claims that masking don't work are like saying abstinence or condoms don't work when they're used incorrectly or intermittently. I support any message, even if it's an Apple prompt when setting up the phone, to keep masking in the conversation. And even apart from that, there are even universities and some schools in the US that have already reinstated universal masking, so the percentage in those environments is obviously greater than 1%. At a pragmatic level, even if you want to throw everything else I said out (because I know people are tired of Covid—I'm VERY tired of it too), it's conceivable that universal masking will return to a greater extent than it is now even within the US, and with this prompt, it's already set up. Conceivable given that variants don't necessarily trend toward milder—a small variation that makes it target the lower respiratory tract again, and we're back to very acute cases. Less conceivable given that it's politically toxic and public health in the US is craven, IMO.
@gruber
While I admit I don't wear masks anymore, I think it's wrong to ignore the fact that cases have been increasing while various state governments have been suppressing the fact. If anything, those with a bully pulpit should be encouraging mask use, not the opposite.
@gruber I'm surprised that when updating to a new phone, it still names the NEW phone the old name. Took me a second to realize that ‘Paul's iPhone 14 Pro' was actually my 15 Pro Max. 🤷♂️
@gruber I want to hear the stats on how many people still have exposure notifications on and if anyone is even reporting cases anymore (officials or users alike)
@gruber your statement on FaceID with masks is a western-centric one. Even before COVID, it is common practice for people in Asia to wear masks (to protect others mind you) when they are sick. FaceID with masks is highly relevant and useful for them.
@gruber Hot take: because it needs all the help it can get. It doesn’t even work with my sunglasses most of the time. I want my TouchID back, regardless of your opinions on how many people use masks (it’s much higher than 1% across East Asia now as we go into virus season again).
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