Apple Touch ID is a fingerprint recognition technology developed by Apple Inc. It allows users to authenticate their identity and perform secure actions such as unlocking devices, authorizing payments, and accessing sensitive data without the hassle of entering a password every time.
First introduced in 2013 with the iPhone 5s, the biometric security system eventually expanded to many Apple products, including iPad and MacBook. Over the years, however, Face ID has taken over in iPhone and iPad Pro, but Touch ID remains the standard for Mac, iPad Air and iPad.
Apple’s iPhone Duo uses Touch ID instead of Face ID to unlock the device. The fingerprint scanner isn’t as convenient as having the handset simply recognize your face, but there are actually three ways to speed up the process.
One involves cutting out a step in signing in with Touch ID, while another lets you skip Touch ID entirely. The third is… odd.
The new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is the first with a Dynamic Island. The interactive, pill-shaped module is borrowed from the iPhone, but where’s the iPhone’s Face ID? Apple left it out — and some Mac fans are mad.
On the iPhone, the Dynamic Island wraps around the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID. But not on this pricey MacBook Pro — Touch ID still handles login authentication. Instead of the laptop unlocking magically when users look at it, they will need to give it the finger instead.
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The Clevetura S keyboard stands out due to its dual functionality, which combines a Mac keyboard with a built-in trackpad. The twist is that instead of adding a dedicated trackpad to the keyboard, it turns the keys themselves into a touch surface.
This clever idea works well in daily use, although it comes with a learning curve.
Want to add Touch ID to your Mac without giving up your favorite keyboard? A DIY Touch ID project called the Dashboard Touch shows how you can build your own fingerprint sensor for less than $35.
It’s not as secure as Apple’s own implementation, but Anil Dash’s new DIY Touch ID hack should be safe enough for most users.
Managing passwords is and always has been a giant pain, but passkeys offer a better way. They are an advanced system that automatically signs you in to online services using your phone’s Face ID (or Touch ID) or your computer’s password.
Switching to biometric authentication or your device’s password means one less thing to remember. Plus, passkeys work without fiddling around with a password manager.
The technology promises a simpler, more convenient and more phishing-resistant way to log in. However, getting started can still feel confusing. Here’s how passkeys work and how to use them across your iPhone, iPad and Mac.
July 28, 2012: Apple buys biometrics company AuthenTec, acquiring the technology that will power Touch ID for authentication and secure payments on the iPhone and other devices.
With a price tag of $356 million, the deal gives Apple the right to use AuthenTec hardware, software and patents. In the short term, Apple engineers start working to build Touch ID sensors into the iPhone 5s. In the longer term, AuthenTec’s mobile wallet tech paves the way for Apple Pay.
A new leak out of China purports to detail the iPhone Fold’s design. The leaker known as Instant Digital says the foldable iPhone will feature a Touch ID power button, as seen on the iPad Air and iPad mini.
The device will supposedly feature a black rear camera plateau, housing two cameras, a microphone and the flash.
The first folding iPhone reportedly will utilize Apple’s in-house C2 modem, switch to an advanced display technology to improve touch accuracy and make the screen crease less visible, and bring back a classic feature: Touch ID.
Codenamed V68, the book-style foldable is on track to debut in 2026
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: A string of leaks from Majin Bu showcase a new line of “TechWoven” iPhone cases. This looks to be Apple’s replacement for the hated FineWoven cases, with a new material that will make the whole thing less sucky.
But does the world really need a replacement for leather iPhone cases?
Also on The CultCast:
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.
New research suggests attackers can use the sound of a user’s finger swiping on a touchscreen to recreate their fingerprint pattern, according to a report Tuesday. And that biometric security risk could lead to trouble, of course.
All it takes is casual swiping in popular apps while a device microphone is on.
Great. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about, biometic-security-wise.
Apple, Google and Microsoft committed themselves to expand support for a passwordless sign-in standard. The goal is to make it easier for websites and applications to offer consistent, secure and easy passwordless sign-ins.
It’s a move toward greater support for biometric security systems like the ones already included in iPhone, Mac and iPad.
An in-screen fingerprint scanner won’t be part of any iPhone for at least three years, according to a trusted analyst. That raises the strong possibility that Touch ID will never again be part of Apple’s flagship smartphones — despite occasional rumors to the contrary.
Apple may have abandoned the idea after a recent improvement to Face ID.
With less than a week to go until Apple’s third-generation iPhone SE makes its official debut, the first reviews are out. They have plenty of great things to say about Cupertino’s most affordable handset — and more than a few complaints.
While everyone is praising the handset’s super-speedy A15 Bionic, welcome 5G connectivity, and even its single 12-megapixel camera, most reviewers agree that its “tired design” is in dire need of a refresh.
On Fridays it’s fun to focus on computer setups with entertaining features whenever possible. Sometimes it’s seriously vintage gear. Or it could be wacky decor. Once in a while, an exotic location pops up. Today we found one where a brand new M1 Pro MacBook meets a kooky crew of bobbleheads and other figures under a really over-the-top camera rig used as a webcam.
New renders of an “iPhone SE 3” show off a gorgeous design upgrade with an edge-to-edge display and no Home button. The device looks a lot like iPhone XR, but with the same dimensions as the current iPhone SE.
These images are said to be based on leaked CAD drawings, but before you get too excited, they’re probably not accurate. At least not for iPhone SE 3.
Apple won’t build the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system into the 2022 iPhone, according to a very reliable tipster. That’s bad news for those who aren’t fans of Face ID, or who just want a second option.
There haven’t been any specific reports that the iPhone 14 will include Touch ID, but Apple is supposedly working on an in-screen version.
Saying the 2021 MacBook Pro’s screen notch is controversial is putting it mildly. But Apple could have made it easier to bear. Building in Face ID would have better justified the display cutout — and also made the newest macOS notebooks easier to use.
Apple execs recently revealed why the MacBook Pro utilizes Touch ID instead of Face ID. And the reason is not convincing. The facial-recognition system is a better fit for MacBook than it is for any other Apple product — including ones it’s already built into.
A trusted analyst has backed up a recent leak that the iPhone 14 will replace the screen notch with a hole punch camera. And there are other significant changes reportedly coming in the 2022 model.
But TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo pushed back his prediction for when some much-anticipated features will reach the iPhone.
Apple won’t bring Touch ID back with iPhone 13 this year, despite testing new technology that would allow the fingerprint scanner to be hidden away under an iPhone’s screen, according to one reliable reporter.
Earlier reports have claimed Apple is working to bring Touch ID back to iPhone as an alternative to Face ID for those who want it. But the feature “won’t make the cut” for Apple’s big smartphone refresh this fall.
Apple’s newest Magic Keyboard with Touch ID integration, which launched alongside the M1 iMac, is now available to purchase by itself, starting at $149. The device works with all machines powered by Apple Silicon.
Apple customers are seemingly always on the lookout for the next big thing when it comes to new products. That may not be quite true for the iPhone 13, though.
According to a survey by SellCell.com, the feature most Apple customers look forward to is actually the return of Touch ID, the fingerprint sensor Apple has been phasing out in favor of Face ID.
A growing number of voices predict that the next-generation iPhone will come with a fingerprint scanner built into its screen. If true, it will mark the welcome return of Touch ID to Apple’s premium models after several long years.
A fingerprint scanner might once again be part of Apple’s iPhone line, according to a reliable source. Touch ID might appear in 2021 alongside Face ID, not in place of it.
Also, Apple reportedly has a folding screen in the prototype stage.
I just opened more than 650 tabs in Safari on a new M1 MacBook Air. I would have opened more, but I got bored.
Meanwhile, in the background, the machine is downloading Photoshop and the Microsoft 360 suite, and I can see in Activity Monitor that it’s processing thousands of iCloud photos while also indexing the hard drive.
Despite this, the machine is as fleet as a greyhound. I started working on a Photoshop project while checking email, keeping an eye on TweetDeck and, of course, clicking around all those open Safari tabs. The MacBook Air is just humming. I’ve never seen anything like it.
It happens before every Apple event. The rumor mill, tech blogs (hello), and iPhone-obsessed nerds pin every hope, dream and desire on the next version of Apple’s devices.
More often than not, those desires are dashed, pushing those wants off to another event. While Apple’s iPhone 12 event showed the steps the company is taking toward iterating on its most popular device, there were also some things left on the wish list.