New York subway asks Apple to change the iPhone unlocking system: what is the reason

You may have seen passengers in New York take off their face masks to unlock smartphones using facial recognition technology. MTA believes that this is unsafe and is asking Apple to come up with a different way to unlock. About This told edition Patch.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has asked Apple to come up with a better way to unlock your iPhone without removing your masks. So a large transport company intends to protect passengers from coronavirus in buses and subways in New York.

Metropolitan Transport Chairman Patrick Foye wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook. The letter says passengers often remove their face masks to unlock phones using facial recognition technology, despite a recent update from Apple making it easier for people during the pandemic.

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Previously, an iPhone user wearing a mask had to wait a few seconds for facial recognition software to identify him before he could eventually enter a password. In response to the pandemic, Apple's iOS 13.5, released in May, automatically presents a password field after the user swipes up the screen to unlock the device.

Also last year, the tech giant unveiled Apple Pay Express Transit, allowing passengers on select bus and metro routes to pay with their iPhone or Apple Watch without having to unlock the device.

“We understand that Apple is working to address this issue, and we know that Apple has a range of technologies at its disposal as a global leader among technology companies,” Foy wrote in an August 9 letter. “We urge Apple to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and solutions that will further protect consumers in the COVID-19 era.”

Foy added that MTA will be willing to partner with Apple on messaging to let users know about the recent iPhone modification. MTA was also asked to comment on what additional steps can be taken.

Recall that due to the pandemic, the number of passengers in the metro and MTA buses fell by 90%. This, along with other reasons, created a fiscal hole that will take years to fill, officials said.

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Today the number of passengers is growing slowly, but still lags far behind pre-crisis levels.

At night, the subway in New York still does not work - it is closed for a thorough cleaning of cars and aprons. During the day, passengers are required to wear masks and maintain social distance. According to the latest data, about 90% of public transit users in New York wear masks.