Is Your iPhone Spying on You by Taking Invisible Photos? Apple Explains Infrared Camera The short answer is YES, your iPhone takes invisible photos of you all the time. Photo : Matt Cardy/Getty Images The short answer is YES, your iPhone takes invisible photos of you all the time. The device takes an infrared image of your face every five seconds while it is turned on. The pictures taken are used for your Face ID to unlock your smartphone device automatically. Apple s iPhone is one of the highest-selling smartphone devices in the market. The tech giant advertises its merchandise to be top-of-the-line, with its advanced technologies and premium security features. One of its selling points is the Face ID feature, where an iPhone identifies the user and automatically unlocks the phone without further prompting. However, the Face ID uses a controversial method when running its system.