Apple’s Face ID technology has existed for almost a decade now. First introduced with the iPhone X, the company continues to limit this technology mostly to its smartphones and the iPad Pro. However, for four years, we’ve heard rumors that Apple is testing facial recognition on its computers.
The earliest rumor came from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman; in 2021, he said that Face ID could be coming to the Mac “within a couple of years.” He also bet that Apple would gradually transition all iPhones and iPads with the sensor, which has only partially happened.
Over these years, Apple has had plenty of moments to introduce Face ID on the Mac, such as with the 2021 redesigned MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max, with the Studio Display monitor, and potentially with a redesigned MacBook Pro with the M6 chip and OLED panel. While the latest rumors suggest Apple is ditching the notch for a Dynamic Island-like hole, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has bad news for those expecting Face ID on that Mac.
Face ID might become a reality on the Mac… eventually
In his latest report, Gurman writes: “Apple is exploring another major Mac change as well: a shift from the Touch ID fingerprint scanner to Face ID. But that remains years away.” While the journalist doesn’t give more details about when Apple could add it or what could’ve changed the company’s mind to actually pursue this change, it’s interesting to see it might happen eventually.
Also in 2021, Apple marketing VP Tom Boger explained that the company hasn’t added Face ID to the Mac due to Touch ID being more convenient. After all, people’s hands were already on the keyboard. With Apple working on a Mac/iPad hybrid, foldable devices, and even a Mac with touchscreen support, it’s only natural to assume that the company might change its mind about Touch ID’s convenience in favor of a more seamless technology, which could unlock the Mac in just a glance. BGR will let you know once we learn more about it.
