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

[ErikGrim]

Yup - I've been using for well over a year, although I haven't found it to be flawless...

Definitely not flawless, but works as well as one can expect from a third party product providing this kind of functionality.

When it does work (i.e. when there hasn't been any system or app updates or restarts) it is magic. Approach my iMac and it just lights up unlocked. Wonderful.

 

[cult hero]

MacID already does that: https://macid.co. I have it and it works flawlessly!

I currently use this and I think "flawlessly" is a bit of an overstatement. It's pretty awesome when it does work and it works really, really well in conjunction with the watch, but... I dunno if it's Apple's Bluetooth issues or some issue with the program, it doesn't always connect and I have to re-add my phone every now and again when I notice it's not working. I also don't like having to provide it with my login password (but what else is it going to do?).

Given Apple's access to APIs and such that other devs don't have, I imagine their implementation would be better. I'd welcome it. In the meantime, I do like MacID, even with its warts.

 

[boston04and07]

I don't think they can do this with software alone. If you want it you're probably going to have to buy a new Mac

Hmm? I mean of course built-in Touch ID won't suddenly appear on older hardware, but what I was saying was perhaps the solution described in the article would allow some Touch ID features (such as, maybe, browser based Apple Pay and apparently locking/unlocking) to come to older Macs. It's entirely possible. Personally I would probably be in the market by the time built in Touch ID comes to new Mac hardware anyway, so I'm lookijg forward to it either way!

 

[joueboy]

With that overpriced Magic Trackpad 2, they could have just included a TouchID on it. That would have been more magical.

 

[garirry]

Why not just incorporate it into the power button, just like it's incorporated into the home button on the iPhone? Seems like it wouldn't be too much trouble to do the same with an iMac's power button.

I was thinking more about how the button is round and the button on the keyboard is square and uniform with the rest of the keyboard. It will be annoying if one buttons completely stands out.

 

[cult hero]

I and I am sure most people are the same can type my password in under a second...
I do like the idea in general though.

I have a fairly long password so it is a bit of a bother to type. With that said, the real convenience of MacID (and one I would hope is replicated) is that my machine auto locks when I leave my office and when I am returning, it wakes up. Via the phone or watch I can be authenticated before I even sit down.

In addition to that, I've found it's really nice when I need to get something off my computer but one arm is hindered by a small child.

 

[LovingTeddy]

So I basically need out my iPuone close to Mac and touch the TouchId sensor to unlock my Mac.

IDK, TouchID has lots of misread recently. And I think by the time in done all of these, I already typed my password.

Should use something similar with Windows Hello.

 

[Phoenixx]

Seriously this is pathetic. Why doesn't Apple do something with OS X that actually MATTERS, like fixing some of the bugs? Why introduce more gimmicks, when the OS is fundamentally broken?

 

[einsteinbqat]

MacID has been doing that already, and it does it well. Got to admit, though, that doing it without any extra app could be a good thing. Let us wait and see!

 

[doelcm82]

I've found it's really nice when I need to get something off my computer but one arm is hindered by a small child.

Or four.

 

[zzLZHzz]

MacID already does that: https://macid.co. I have it and it works flawlessly!

the only problem i have is the proximity wake. it doesn't seem to work all the time.

Presumably Apple will unveil 10.12 at WWDC less than a month away, so shouldn't features be set into stone at this point? It's either coming or it's not.

it probably set into stone but might not be done by .0 release.

This isn't "dumb as hell". It effectively gives you pseudo-two factor authentication, because to get into the Mac, you need the phone, AND the fingerprint.

I'd like the option to require both the phone and a password to get into the machine.

yes and no. because at the end of the day we can still type directly.

 

[BeefCake 15]

So instead of just putting touch ID into the MacBook, I have to buy this adapter called an iPhone?!

Better than jacking up the price of notebooks for adding fingerprint reader when most of us already have the phone...

 

[vault]

The Secure Enclave is built into the A series, yes. So they could put a fingerprint sensor on there but it wouldn't be the same as on the iPhone because of that.

My guess is they're trying to find a good way to get the Secure Enclave on newer Macs.

It's called a TPM chip and most business laptops have had it for years. Secure Enclave is just a custom implementation of it (much less sophisticated, in fact). Integrating it into a Mac is really not rocket science

 

[Michael Goff]

It's called a TPM chip and most business laptops have had it for years. Secure Enclave is just a custom implementation of it (much less sophisticated, in fact). Integrating it into a Mac is really not rocket science

Alright. Thanks. Good to learn things I didn't know.

 

[lk400]

Honestly, I hope this is temporary and there will be a fingerprint sensor built into Macs. Not everyone has iPhones, and most importantly, I'm not about to pull out my phone to unlock it, open an app, then fingerprint it again. Might as well enter my 6-digit password because that's about as secure my computer needs to be since nobody even has access to it.

If its anything like the watch, it just unlocks from the lock screen on your phone - a very simple and not at all annoying process.

 

[appahappa]

I know there are apps like MacID and Knock but they are really unreliable. And if Apple release such a feature there is a chance that there will be an API which other applications (like 1Password) will use.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Honestly, I hope this is temporary and there will be a fingerprint sensor built into Macs. Not everyone has iPhones, and most importantly, I'm not about to pull out my phone to unlock it, open an app, then fingerprint it again. Might as well enter my 6-digit password because that's about as secure my computer needs to be since nobody even has access to it.

How does a fingerprint sensor built into future Macs help with current systems?

 

[acctman]

Honestly, I hope this is temporary and there will be a fingerprint sensor built into Macs. Not everyone has iPhones, and most importantly, I'm not about to pull out my phone to unlock it, open an app, then fingerprint it again. Might as well enter my 6-digit password because that's about as secure my computer needs to be since nobody even has access to it.

the keyboard will still work no need for a phone :/

 

[di1in]

Considering my experiences from the last four major OS updates including that paid OS update, I will not be updating to 10.12 until it hits 10.12.3.

 

[BvizioN]

Picking up my phone to unlock my mac doesn't make anything easier. Adding a sensor to the keyboard will.

But....I can only assume that would be a bit hard to add physical touch ID to already sold millions of Macs who will get the newest OSX !

 

[Aneef]

That's not fair . I own a Macbook Pro (because I love it) but I don't own an iPhone (because I don't like it). But I own an S6 Edge Plus. So there should also be an option for Android Users that have Fingerprint scanner on their phones to use the same scanner to unlock their Macs.

 

[Corrode]

If it works as well as Handoff/AirPlay, I think I'll stick with a password for now...

Handoff works almost every time for me now. AirPlay is decent but I think it'd be better with the new Apple TV.

 

[PBRsg]

Hello, Apple, this is your biggest strength! You are the only company that has a full range of smartphone/tablet/desktop products. Android tablets are not selling and their desktop product is crap. Microsoft has a full range in terms of OS but is crippled by its lack of apps for its smartphone/tablets. Apple should maximize the integration of its stack of products as its biggest strength. How about creating an user file space on each device and making it accessible via a file manager both locally and over the network to trusted devices?

 

[doelcm82]

A mild evolution of something Salling Clicker shipped for Mac users 13 years ago? Better late than never, I guess.

Yep. Late is a lot better than never.

 

[alvindarkness]

Wow, count me out. Hope its an option I can thoroughly disable. The difference here is between your fingerprint which a court can compel you submit, or a password that they can't. Plus who knows the orchestration of this option, i.e. can it be enabled after its locked with a password/key already? Those are details we don't have yet. It may be inconvenient, but at least I know its locked.

I'm of exactly the same mindset as you. I seriously hope this can be disabled completely, and if a built in physical scanner becomes part of future macs, that its functionality can be disabled completely without impacting adversely on how I use OSX.