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Apple Working on OS X 10.12 Feature Allowing Macs to Be Unlocked via iPhone's Touch ID

I hope that actual TouchID will come to future Macs soon. However, this could be a neat way of incorporating some of the functionality into older Macs. If they're doing this, it probably means they'd want TouchID features in as many Macs as possible, probably for the implementation of web-based Apple Pay. I'd be all for that.
 
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Samsungs galaxy tabpro S hybrid 2 in 1 already has this feature.......there latest phones can use the phones fingerprint sensor to unlock the device
 
Black Magic said:
Why would you pay with a MacBook when you could do that with your watch or Phone? I just can't see under any circumstance someone lugging a laptop up to a counter to pay much less an iMac.
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You can use Apple Pay online. No one is anticipating making payments with their macbook in stores.

American Hero said:
They both get pressed. They can both be made out of glass.

They're ideally the same thing, but one performs a function where you click, while the other just brings you back to the app launcher.
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With this over-simplifying mindset, it's a wonder why you're not on the Apple Engineering Team.
 
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bradl said:
All I have to say here is if you live in the USA, refresh yourself on the 4th and 5th Amendments to the US Constitution, then revisit that 'security feature'.

Keep in mind that while you can not be forced to give the authorities your password (violation of the 5th Amendment's protection against self incrimination), you can be obligated to give the authorities your fingerprint, and per the 4th, a warrant can be served to you, forcing you to submit your fingerprint, especially for unlocking your phone.

And if your Mac is protected by this variant of TouchID, by extension, the authorities could force you to unlock your Mac via unlocking your iPhone.

Yes, I know that this is a bit tricky as the warrant would be for unlocking your Mac and not your iPhone, but if separate warrants were served for that, you could be forced to unlock your Mac and have your data searched through by the authorities.

As much as I love TouchID (I use both it and alphanumeric passwords), I can see a slippery slope here.

BL.
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You have locks on your front door but the police can still enter your home with a warrant. Does that mean your door locks aren't a security feature?
 
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cmChimera said:
With this over-simplifying mindset, it's a wonder why you're not on the Apple Engineering Team.
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Yes, I'm a fool for coming up with an idea Apple has yet to show off.

Quite honestly, it shouldn't be difficult for Apple to put a fingerprint reader in the Mac if they can put it in the iPhone's home button.
 
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Not sure if this has already been raised, but what if someone owns a mac but not an iPhone or a new model equipped with a Touch ID sensor? Though Apple would love to have this happen, in that scenario it would be hard to think someone would spent $650+ on a new device to have access to this convenience feature
 
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jamesrick80 said:
Samsungs galaxy tabpro S hybrid 2 in 1 already has this feature.......there latest phones can use the phones fingerprint sensor to unlock the device
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Why does it matter? Just because some other products might have some feature does not mean that said feature won't improve Apple's products?

It's like saying just because another notebook features speakers, Apple sure should avoid having speakers on theirs.
 
twocents said:
Not sure if this has already been raised, but what if someone owns a mac but not an iPhone or a new model equipped with a Touch ID sensor? Though Apple would love to have this happen, in that scenario it would be hard to think someone would spent $650+ on a new device to have access to this convenience feature
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What kind of question is this? Do you really expect to have access to all kinds of new features if you do not own any of their more recent products?

If you don't own an iPhone, you aren't able to utilise hand-off, continuity on your Mac either. Do you complain about these features not being available because you use a Nokia 120 dumb phone and not an iPhone?
 
Muscle Master said:
This is dumb as hell... Put a Touch ID sensor on one of the keys and be done with it
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Great for laptops with built-in keyboards. Not so great if you use an external, possibly 3rd party, keyboard.

igorsky said:
That's just flat out wrong.
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The way TouchID is implemented at the moment its very much convenience rather than security: a quick way of skipping the passcode that you can use under tightly controlled circumstances. Its certainly not a two-factor system (where you would need both). The extra security is only indirect: it makes you more inclined to use a passcode and choose a strong one because you don't have to type it as often.

Seriously - how secure is TouchID if you have a copy of someone's fingerprint (such as you might obtain from something they've handled with a nice smooth surface like - just to pick an idea at random - a nice shiny phone)?
 
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mmm this leak sounds of wrong interpretation by the leaker himself to me.
I bet that we're going toward A-chip Macs, and this feature is one of the advantages.
 
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I've been using MacID to have this kind of functionality for well over a year now. It has been flawless about, oh, 80% of the time. Awesomely handy to be able to just tap a notification on my watch to log in to my Mac. Most of the time I'm no longer technically using Touch ID on my iPhone for logging in to my Mac since getting an Apple Watch. Even with having something akin to this already, so it won't be as awesome of a new feature for me this fall, using a 3rd-party implementation only goes to make me realize more than those who aren't using such software just how much better an OS-level feature would be than these 3rd-party apps that inherently have some restraints (background refresh sometimes means the iOS app is quit, which means it won't work again until I manually open it, etc.), it being built in will be exponentially better and more reliable. Can't wait!
 
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theluggage said:
The way TouchID is implemented at the moment its very much convenience rather than security: a quick way of skipping the passcode that you can use under tightly controlled circumstances. Its certainly not a two-factor system (where you would need both). The extra security is only indirect: it makes you more inclined to use a passcode and choose a strong one because you don't have to type it as often.

Seriously - how secure is TouchID if you have a copy of someone's fingerprint (such as you might obtain from something they've handled with a nice smooth surface like - just to pick an idea at random - a nice shiny phone)?
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If you understood the tech behind TouchID (and I barely do) you really wouldn't be typing what you're typing here. TouchID is biometric security, and a very sophisticated system at that. Sophisticated enough to safeguard all of your credit and debit cards.

And as far as I know, I haven't yet heard of someone's iPhone being compromised from a lifted fingerprint, so your concerns are nothing more than speculation.
 
Michael Goff said:
Apple under TC is doing cloud better than they ever did under Steve Jobs
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Hilarious. Most Apple loyalists would rather have Jobs back.

Apple only looked good for a while because Cook milked out Jobs' ideas while cutting back everywhere else.

Heck, I used to LOVE Apple and their products, and then Cook took over. From day one I've been disappointed--since the iPhone 4S event.
 
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Michael Goff said:
Do I care what Steve Jobs fanboys want? Honestly, try to refute my points instead of posting irrelevant things.
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You don't have any points.

"Cook is the CEO Apple needs right now." Based on....?

"Apple is doing better under Cook than they did under Jobs." Again, based on what..?
 
theluggage said:
Seriously - how secure is TouchID if you have a copy of someone's fingerprint (such as you might obtain from something they've handled with a nice smooth surface like - just to pick an idea at random - a nice shiny phone)?
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Still pretty secure, since I'm sure I can wipe my phone remotely before you can make a duplicate fingerprint.
 
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I can probably type my password faster than I can reach into my pocket, pull out my iPhone, and stick my finger on the sensor. Right now I have the best of both worlds: the Near Lock app unlocks my MacBook Pro when my iPhone gets within three feet of it, and locks it when I move away.
 
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