Face ID for Mac Remains Distant Despite Years of Rumors

[MacRumors]

Despite years of rumors suggesting Apple is working on Macs with Face ID instead of Touch ID, the technology isn't coming any time soon, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Gurman claims that Apple is aiming to shift from Touch ID to Face ID in the Mac line, but the change "remains years away."

Gurman and others have incorrectly predicted Face ID for Macs several times over the past five years. In 2021, Gurman said he'd bet Face ID would come to the Mac "within a couple of years." In the same year, he said Apple planned to add Face ID to the M1 iMac, but did not end up doing so. In 2022, he said Apple had "definitely" been working on Face ID for Macs, but "time will tell if they launch it."

Gurman did not provide any new information about Face ID for the Mac today than he did in 2021 when he first mentioned it, so the feature may remain "years away" for the next decade.

In 2021, Apple marketing VP Tom Boger said that there's no Face ID on the Mac because Touch ID is more convenient. Users' hands are already on the keyboard, so Apple feels that Touch ID makes more sense. It's possible Apple's thinking on the matter will shift when touch screen Macs come out in late 2026 or 2027.

Article Link: Face ID for Mac Remains Distant Despite Years of Rumors

 

[GriffinCorp2]

Why is it so hard when phones have had this for years!

 

[momentlost]

Users' hands are already on the keyboard, so Apple feels that Touch ID makes more sense. It's possible Apple's thinking on the matter will shift when touch screen Macs come out in late 2026 or 2027.

But, like, won't their hands already be on the screen...? /s

The Apple Watch to unlock works great.

 

[Anaxarxes]

Shows that there are sensible UX people still at Apple making decisions...

Edit: Love the reactions. But seriously, let’s think this through — Face ID on a Mac doesn’t actually make much sense from a user experience perspective.

When you’re using a keyboard, Touch ID is already the most convenient option. It’s quick, reliable, and doesn’t interrupt your workflow. For Face ID to be a worthwhile upgrade, it would need to offer a better experience — not just a different one.

Now, consider the practical issues:

• Many people use their MacBooks closed with external monitors → no Face ID.
  • “But we could still have Touch ID on the keyboard!” → sure, so why bother with Face ID then?
• Plenty of users cover their webcams for privacy (yes, even Mac users).
• The Face ID sensor would sit right where you touch to open your laptop → smudges everywhere.
  • And unlike your phone, how often do you actually clean your laptop screen?

So what’s the real UX benefit of Face ID on a Mac? Honestly… none. If anything, it’d be a step backward compared to the simplicity and practicality of Touch ID.

 

[FipsAlfredsson]

Even if there would be Face ID on my Mac, I wouldn't use it. I rather use fingerprint sensors. If they have both, fine, so I can switch Face ID off but still use the sensor. I don't see what the big advantage is over fingerprint sensors. Maybe I am too haptic.

 

[Rade0]

*Worker 1: locks screen to hide commercially sensitive information*

*Worker 2: was that news about the merger?*

*Mac with faceid: unlocks*

*Worker 1: stop looking!*

 

[RodThePlod]

In 2021, Apple marketing VP Tom Boger said that there's no Face ID on the Mac because Touch ID is more convenient. Users' hands are already on the keyboard, so Apple feels that Touch ID makes more sense.

But they're also looking at the screen, right?!?

 

[TheMountainLife]

My Lenovo work laptop in 2016 had Windows Hello which works similar to Face ID using the camera + IR. I don't understand why this hasn't appeared on Mac especially once the notch was added.

 

[LawJolla]

Obviously the emitter is too deep for a laptop screen and they don't want to split the feature between iMacs and laptops.

 

[RodThePlod]

*Worker 1: locks screen to hide commercially sensitive information*

*Worker 2: was that news about the merger?*

*Mac with faceid: unlocks*

*Worker 1: stop looking!*

Fair point!

 

[maruyama]

Why is it so hard when phones have had this for years!

The iPhone has a lot more space front to back than a laptop screen. That's actually the reason the notch on MacBooks is so wide despite only having a camera, light sensor, and an LED - the camera driver, mounting points, and everything has to get "smooshed out" to fit inside the thin screen assembly.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

The new 18 MP front camera would have been a great time to bring this to Mac

 

[McScooby]

I don’t buy it with thin screens, they could easily incorporate a teardrop design into the lid to accommodate the cameras - think old mb air side on view for example, so thicker at top tapering off to thinner, even just for the cameras bump.

 

[maxoakland]

Touch screen Macs? That’s when you know Apple has jumped the shark entirely

 

[maxoakland]

I don’t buy it with thin screens, they could easily incorporate a teardrop design into the lid to accommodate the cameras - think old mb air side on view for example, so thicker at top tapering off to thinner, even just for the cameras bump.

And on an iMac a bump behind the screen that no one would EVER see whereas it’s a huge obvious thing on a phone

 

[ThomasJL]

Despite years of rumors suggesting Apple is working on Macs with Face ID instead of Touch ID, the technology isn't coming any time soon,

And yet there is still a hideous notch on every single Mac laptop being sold today. How clueless must Tim Cook be to be OK with that?

 

[Pupi]

Apple dropped Touch ID from the iPhone because the iPhone lost the home button so Apple needed to develop and implement a different biometric authentication method. The Mac doesn't need it. Personally I prefer Touch ID although I don't mind Face ID.

 

[Ear Booker]

In 2021, Apple marketing VP Tom Boger said that there's no Face ID on the Mac because Touch ID is more convenient. Users' hands are already on the keyboard, so Apple feels that Touch ID makes more sense. It's possible Apple's thinking on the matter will shift when touch screen Macs come out in late 2026 or 2027.

Yeah, and my face is already in front of the screen, which is even more convenient… time for biometrics on the Mac to catch up with the iPhone X in 2017.

 

[TheMountainLife]

The iPhone has a lot more space front to back than a laptop screen. That's actually the reason the notch on MacBooks is so wide despite only having a camera, light sensor, and an LED - the camera driver, mounting points, and everything has to get "smooshed out" to fit inside the thin screen assembly.

I've replaced many MBP/MBA displays along with transferring the secure element to a new logic board / activating them. There's plenty of space to have Face ID added.

 

[darngooddesign]

Why is it so hard when phones have had this for years!

Phones are a lot thicker than the MacBook lids; people who use their MacBooks in clamshell mode probably wouldn’t want to lose their Touch ID. They could do it in the iMac tho which has a big bezel.

 

[Pupi]

Yeah, and my face is already in front of the screen, which is even more convenient… time for biometrics on the Mac to catch up with the iPhone X in 2017.

If both are already in place there is no difference in that regard, although only one authenticates when you want if you want, doesn't timeout, doesn't require looking at anything in particular, and gives a nice tactile feel. It's superior and it's not close.

 

[JohnC1959]

The main situation where I do wish they had faceID for a MacBook is when I'm docked for a desktop usage. In that case I don't have touch ID on my Logitech keyboard and so I have to either reach over to my MacBook (which I do normally have open) or type my password. It would be nice to just glance towards the MacBook for face ID.

By the way, one reason I'm not using an Apple magic keyboard with touch ID is because they aren't backlit which I often need.

 

[Anonymous123]

Just putting this out there: I’d like Touch ID on my iPhone and Face ID on my Mac.

 

[goobot]

Face ID makes more sense on a Mac over anything else. The screen is perfectly lined up with your face

 

[Pezimak]

So Face ID which is actually useful you can't have, instead here is a touch screen Mac no one asked for... IF these rumours are true of course.