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The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max arrived in stores on September 18, after nearly a week of pre-orders. Some buyers are about to receive the model of their choice, along with any protective accessories they may have purchased, while others will receive the handset in-store. But you shouldn’t install the screen protector you just received — or buy one, for that matter — until you’re sure you have the right kind. It’s not a measurement problem. The iPhone 18 Pro models are the same height and width as their predecessors. Screen protectors designed for iPhone 17 Pro models may fit. This is the significant design change that Apple has made to the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera cutout, which is smaller than before. Apple has moved the Face ID camera below the display and positioned it in the left corner of the handset. Therefore, specific screen protectors may prevent Face ID from working reliably.
Specifically, reviewers like YouTuber Dave2D have encountered Face ID failures when using matte screen protectors. User The user also said that privacy protectors may impact Face ID functionality. Apple updated a support document with iPhone 18 Pro language to explain that privacy protectors can interfere with 3D facial recognition. The company advises consumers to remove privacy covers for the sensor to work.
That said, clear screen protectors shouldn’t interfere with the Face ID camera. Likewise, privacy protectors developed for iPhone 18 Pro models, which may include 3D facial recognition testing, should be safe to purchase.
How Face ID works on the iPhone 18 Pro
Although Apple moved the camera below the display, the Face ID functionality was not affected aside from this screen protector issue, as Dave2D discovered. The YouTuber said he expected some issues with 3D face scans, like “effective range or reduced accuracy,” but that wasn’t the case. He found Face ID to be just as good on the new handsets as the iPhone 17 Pro, calling the experience “incredible.” The only issue was with the matte screen protector.
The YouTuber examined the camera under the display with a microscope, noting that most users may not even realize the sensor is there. The analysis showed that Apple used a zigzag pattern for the screen area that covers the Face ID camera. The zigzag pixels alternate with a zigzag space area, as shown in the following image, which allows light to pass through. The sensor under the screen then reads the invisible dots projected on the user’s face to authenticate them.
As the video explains, Apple has kept the dot projector and illuminator inside the camera cutout, near the selfie camera. These are responsible for projecting the infrared points onto the user’s face. In other words, matte and privacy screen protectors won’t interfere with these Face ID components, especially if they have cutouts. But they can impact the functionality of the Face ID camera, because they add another layer for light to pass through.
Do you really need a screen protector?
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro models feature a Ceramic Shield 2 front glass that provides three times the scratch resistance of the iPhone 16 series and older models. Woozad said in its one-year review of the iPhone 17 Pro that the Ceramic Shield 2 “was the best iPhone upgrade,” explaining that the iPhone 17 Pro’s unshielded screen received “light scratches” in the first year, while the iPhone 16 Pro got scratched within three weeks. Similarly, TechRadar explained in its review of the iPhone 18 Pro that last year’s glass cover technology did “wonders in preventing micro-abrasions and scratches on the front screen.”
In other words, iPhone 18 Pro owners may consider not installing a screen protector on their new devices. This should prevent Face ID issues. On the downside, the Ceramic Shield 2’s glass can still break during accidental drops, requiring screen replacement. Apple will charge consumers who don’t have AppleCare+ $379 or $329 for a new display. Purchasing AppleCare+ for the iPhone 18 Pro will reduce the replacement cost to $29.
Consumers may still want to purchase accessories for their new phones. @L0vetodream advises them to purchase anti-glare protectors capable of maintaining the anti-glare properties of the screen. Buyers should also look for screen protectors designed for the new handsets and look for Face ID SKUs. Spigen sells a GLAS.tR EZ Fit Sensor Protected product that is designed and tested for Face ID compatibility. Belkin offers a new privacy protector designed “to avoid interfering with Face ID.”
