John GruberSep 23, 2023
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.
Show threadRob ShearerSep 23, 2023

@gruber “Apple declares the pandemic over!” is the headline that gets written the moment they make that change.

Maybe 2023 was a reasonable time to eat that story, and punting on it does show a lack of courage…but I do get wanting to dodge the issue.

Show threadJohn GruberSep 23, 2023
@rvcx The pandemic has clearly been over for a long time. Covid isn't over and I doubt will be over in my lifetime, but it's obviously no longer a pandemic.
Show threadRob ShearerSep 23, 2023

@gruber I’m not a professional clickbaiter. Perhaps “Apple declares COVID no longer a risk!”

There is something very weird about how masks just kind of faded away without formal recommendations. They are probably still sensible in some settings (eg hospitals), and have become a badge of the doomer cult, which intersects my online orbits more than antivaxers these days. But nobody wants to attempt that public conversation unless they have to.

Show threadRob Shearer
@gruber (For the record, “less than 5% of our customers are using the mask feature”, or whatever the stat is, strikes me as a more-than-sufficient corporate side-step. Just hypothesizing about how “drop the mask thing” got shouted down inside Apple.)
Sep 23, 2023 at 11:16pmIvory for iOS