Apple’s Face ID implementation has caught on pretty well ever since it was first launched with the iPhone X in 2017. However, it’s only available on the iPhone. That might change soon, and if you’re hoping to be able to buy a Mac with Face ID authentication in the future, this new report might sound like music to your ears.
The report comes from 9to5Mac, and states that the code for the latest macOS Big Sur beta has references that hint at Face ID. For instance, there’s a reference to TrueDepth in the code, which is the exact name of the camera system Apple uses for Face ID on the iPhone X and above. The report also mentions references to ‘PearlCamera’, which is Apple’s internal codename for Face ID, as well as ‘FaceDetect’ and ‘BioCapture’. These are all names that similar to codes used for Face ID in iOS, according to the report.
That’s all exciting, at least to me, because having Face ID on a Mac would be really useful. No more typing passwords or touching the Touch ID scanner to unlock your Mac. However, it’s important to note that these are all just code references. There’s no way to know for certain if Apple is actually working on anything of the sort for the Mac.
That said, bringing Face ID to the Mac will mean adding a ton of new hardware to the bezel around the display. It will also likely push the price up by a noticeable margin. Most importantly, however, this might just be something Apple is looking to add to its upcoming Apple Silicon powered Macs. After all, having the development of the processor, and the software all under one roof should help Apple bring exciting new features to the Mac in the near future.
That’s wishful thinking from my side, however. We will only know for certain whether Apple is working on bringing Face ID to the Mac when the company announces something (or maybe some well sourced leaks). Until then, take this information with a pinch of salt if you will.
