How to Fix Move iPhone A Little Lower Error with Face ID

Are you having a hard time setting up Face ID due to a ‘move iPhone a little lower’ error?

Keeping personal information secure on mobile devices is crucial in today’s digital age. 

One significant development in this regard is Apple’s Face ID. This changed the way people unlock their iPhones.

Although Face ID offers a high level of protection, it’s apparent that it has its own downside as well. 

Recently, iPhone users have been complaining that they can no longer set up Face ID after resetting it due to poor face detection. 

Error Message Face ID

Today, we’re going to show you how to fix the error ‘move iPhone a little lower when setting up Face ID.

Let’s get started!

1. Restart Your iPhone. 

If you can’t set up Face ID on your iPhone, try restarting it first. This should reload its operating system, ensuring that all resources are properly loaded. 

Restarting your iPhone should also clear any corrupted data from your system memory, resolving temporary errors that may have occurred. 

For iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, or later: 

  1. Hold down the Volume Down button and Side button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears. 
  2. Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds. 
  3. Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device. 
Restart iPhone

For iPhone 6, 7, 8, or SE: 

  1. Locate the Power button on your device. 
  2. Now, hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt shows up.
  3. Drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds before turning on your device. 
move iphone a little lower error with face id

Try adding a Face ID on your iPhone afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check/Clean TrueDepth Camera. 

If you can’t set up Face ID on your iPhone, there might be something blocking the TrueDepth camera. 

Follow the steps below to check your camera:

  1. Open the Camera app on your iPhone. 
  2. Switch to the front-facing camera if it isn’t already. 
  3. Now, look at the viewfinder and check if you can see yourself clearly. 
  4. Tap on the screen to check if the camera adjusts and focuses correctly. 
  5. If you’re using an iPhone X or later, you can switch to portrait mode and take some portrait shots with the front-facing camera. 

If you can’t get a clear shot using the front-facing camera, then it might be covered with smudges and oils. 

  1. Grab a soft cloth or microfiber.
  2. Gently wipe the area of the front-facing camera. 
  3. Repeat this process until you’ve removed the smudges on the screen. 
Microfiber towel

Test out the camera again to see if you can now get better shots. 

You can also try setting up Face ID to see if the same error would occur after cleaning the sensor. 

3. Update Your iPhone. 

A faulty version of iOS can also be the reason Face ID is not working properly. There might be a bug or glitch on your system that causes problems with the TrueDepth and Face ID. 

Installing the latest version of iOS should ensure that your device has the latest patch for bugs and errors. 

Here’s how you can update your iPhone: 

  1. Open Settings from your home screen. 
  2. Go to General, then tap on Software Update
Software Update iPhone
  1. Wait for your iPhone to check for updates. 
  2. If there’s an available update, tap on Download and Install
  3. Follow the instructions to install the update. 
move iphone a little lower error with face id

Note

  • Your device can restart several times while installing the update. 
  • Make sure that your iPhone has at least 50% battery before installing updates. It’s best to keep your device plugged into the wall charger to avoid interruptions. 
  • Allow at least 15 minutes for the update to install, especially if it’s a major update (iOS 14 to iOS 15).

Set up your Face ID afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

4. Tap the Front Camera. 

Some users were able to resolve the issue with Face ID by tapping the area where the front camera is to their palm. 

While there’s no explanation why it works, our guess is that by tapping the front camera, it forces the sensor to its default position. 

This allows the TrueDepth sensor to properly detect your face. 

Hold your iPhone facing down and lightly tap the area of the front camera on your palm. Set up your Face ID again to check if the ‘move iPhone a little lower’ error would still occur. 

5. Reset Your Settings. 

If you still encounter problems with Face ID, we suggest resetting your iPhone’s configuration. 

Performing this should also reset your Face ID. This should clear out any issues with your enrolled face data.

Here’s how you can reset your iPhone’s settings: 

  1. Open your device and tap on the Settings app. 
  2. Next, tap on General
General Settings
  1. Scroll down and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone
  2. Tap on Reset and choose Reset All Settings
move iphone a little lower error with face id

Note

  • Your iPhone will immediately restart upon resetting your network configurations. 
  • It may appear to be stuck in the Apple logo. Wait for the process to complete which usually takes around 5 to 10 minutes. 

Try using Face ID again to check if the problem is solved. 

6. Contact Apple Support. 

There might be an issue with your iPhone’s hardware and needs to be checked by an Apple-certified technician. 

Visit Apple’s support page to get some help. Look for the issue you’re experiencing and see if you’ll find alternative solutions. 

move iphone a little lower error with face id

Get in touch with their team through chat or phone if the suggested solutions did not work. 

If you want faster action, head to the nearest Apple Store to have it checked. Before doing so, you can check if your device is still covered by warranty so you know your options. 

That sums up our guide on how to fix the ‘move iPhone a little lower’ error. If you have questions or other concerns, leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it.

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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