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Rumor says Touch ID coming to MacBooks and Magic Mouse/Trackpad for Apple Pay, but there are roadblocks

Screenshot 2015-02-17 10.53.37

When Apple develops a new technology or feature for its hardware, it typically rolls it out on one product then expands it to the rest of the line. For example, Touch ID launched for the iPhone in 2013 and made its way to the iPad with the iPad Air 2 in 2014. For 2015, Touch ID may make its debut on the Mac, according to a rumor from website apple.club.tw. According to the blog, which published legitimate photos of iPad Air 2 Touch ID and A8X chip components last fall, Touch ID will come to Macs this year to enable Apple Pay functionality…

Screenshot 2015-02-17 11.03.50

The website says that the upcoming 12-inch Retina MacBook Air and a future MacBook Pro model will (curiously) integrate the Touch ID fingerprint scanner into a component above the standard trackpad. Because of a lack of space on Apple’s laptops for a dedicated Touch ID sensor, perhaps Apple is actually working on integrating the scanner into the trackpad itself. Apple has patents for integrating Touch ID into Multi-Touch displays, so perhaps this technology can expand to the Multi-Touch trackpads.

As for desktop Macs, like the Mac Pro, Mac mini, and iMac, the new report says Touch ID will be enabled for those machines by way of an upgraded Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. Because Touch ID and Apple Pay are typically tied to the main device hardware, it seems likely that new desktop hardware, in addition to the new mouse or trackpad, will be required to enable functionality.

Screenshot 2015-02-17 11.04.22

Integrating Touch ID into the Mac would bring a moderate boost to the Apple Pay market, presumably allowing users to use one-touch purchasing to buy products online. While Apple, based on its integrated approach, could launch Touch ID for Macs with Apple Pay support in iTunes, the Mac App Store, and its own online store, Apple will have to release a new Apple Pay API to enable various website-based online stores to support the feature. Touch ID’s functionality is based on a secure element component within the A-series chips in iPhones and iPads, so Apple will need to integrate such a component in future Macs and input devices to make Touch ID on the Mac possible.

Because of the roadblocks involved with bringing Touch ID to the Mac, and the lack of Touch ID references for the upcoming MacBook Air as of January, Touch ID soon coming to the Mac does not seem like a sure thing. But based on Apple’s tactics and history, it seems likely that Apple is considering bringing Touch ID to the Mac while working on technological solutions to make a rollout happen at some point in the future. Besides Apple Pay support, Touch ID would replace the standard password lock screen on the Macs, which should spur usage of security on the Mac.While today’s rumor says that the Touch ID sensor on the Mac is positioned for Apple Pay, it’s more likely that scanning to unlock the computer will arrive first.

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Comments

  1. danbridgland - 9 years ago

    Is there a possibility of Apple nestling an Ax chip alongside Intel’s latest and greatest, purely for the secure enclave?

    • florinnica - 9 years ago

      Imagine running iOS app in OS X =)

      • Stetson - 9 years ago

        They can do this without an Arm chip onboard. iOS apps can already be compiled / run on Intel. That’s how the iOS simulator works for developers.

  2. Taste_of_Apple - 9 years ago

    Touch ID for Mac would be awesome. Then again, I’m still waiting for Siri.

  3. mobileseeks - 9 years ago

    This might convince me to finally upgrade my 17″ MBP. I just wish they would bring back the 17″ screen size. Not going to hold my breath though.

    • Eric Warrell (@EricWBS) - 9 years ago

      They sadly won’t :( when they first pulled the 17″ MBP, I actually wrote a letter about it and got a response that it simply wasn’t a popular item and unless I was able to get a considerable amount of people to make the same comment, the 17″ MBP will be dead forever.

      • Tom Adams - 9 years ago

        except it wasn’t popular because it was vastly overpriced

      • standardpull - 9 years ago

        Or because it was too big to use on an airplane – even in 1st class.

  4. I wonder how Apple will do this if they implement Touch ID in a Magic Mouse. Everybody rests their hand on the surface of the mouse when not typing. What if an Apple Pay screen pops up and immediately recognizes your fingers resting on the mouse?

    • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

      Where would the secure enclave be located on mouse or track pad? The keyboards, mouse and track pads are all past time for an upgrade.

      • Rio (@Crzy_rio) - 9 years ago

        The ARM chip that would be required on the mouse would be significantly smaller and it would require barely any processing power. So I see it as possible

      • standardpull - 9 years ago

        Trackpads already have a controller. They’d just add it to it.

  5. I think that they should integrate it into the track pad and not even have a separate spot on the computer for it. Apple has the patent for Touch ID acting as a track pad on the iPhone and now iPad. This would then replace the current technology used in the track pad. The only reason i don’t see them doing this is if it takes too much power to use as a track pad since it uses sensors and pixels to read your fingerprint.

    Ill buy a new Magic Mouse if it enables Touch ID for my all maxed out late 2013 Retina MacBook Pro. I might even consider a new Magic TrackPad as well.

    • mariobros27772 - 9 years ago

      This is exactly my thoughts in the issue. I would love to see the TrackPad become the sensor. Maybe have a corner have the sensor. Would certainly be a nice upgrade.

    • Tom Adams - 9 years ago

      Apple thinks three steps ahead. They got rid of optical drives not because no one uses them but because they want to turn the eject key into a touchID sensor key

      • atokosch - 9 years ago

        That makes no sense. I would never use Touch ID then. The place is inconvenient. I never turn my computer off. The eject key is now the power button. That would be stupid for them to put the sensor in the power button. It will cause accidental power button presses which would make me angry. The track pad makes the most sense. Sorry but why put it anywhere else?

  6. Greg Buser - 9 years ago

    Why not just integrate touch id into the power button?

  7. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    Seems like this would even open up more features for continuity and handoff, plus it would make it more secure.

  8. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    I still think a long press on the Touch ID on iPads and iPhones should be the power button. After 5 months with the 6 plus I still keep reaching for the top for the power button.

    • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

      How do you take screenshots? ….and I stopped reaching for the top after about 3 days.

    • michabailey - 9 years ago

      Um, that’s Siri…

  9. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    Why wouldn’t they just let you authenticate from your iPhone? Seems incredibly clunky to build into a Mac, or a mouse/trackpad. Just use the nearby iPhone that already has Touch ID enabled/configured…and prompt on the device whenever you’re doing something on the Mac that wants Touch ID authentication.

    • ctyrider (@ctyrider) - 9 years ago

      That’s a horrible idea. Taking an iPhone out of my pocket to use touch ID to login to a Mac would be hugely cumbersome. I may as well type in my password at that point.

      Mac TouchID should be integrated into Mac hardware, not an iPhone.

      • PMZanetti - 9 years ago

        Only if its in your pocket. Mine sits on my desk, so it would be just as easy to reach over and touch the home button when the display lights up…and then I only have to manage Touch ID on one device.

        As it is, having to reset touch id and reapply fingers on multiple devices during setup/restores is a hassle.

      • ctyrider (@ctyrider) - 9 years ago

        Well, that’s great, but I think most people don’t keep their iPhones permanently housed on their desks. And what about millions of Mac users that don’t own an iPhone?

        And there is nothing to “manage” about TouchID – you just scan in your fingers and you’re done.

        It’s pretty clear that Apple is going the route of directly integrating TouchID into all of their hardware – just the matter of when not if. Anything less would be a compromise.

  10. This is seriously a horrifically bad idea. There is very little benefit and a lot of problems, more of chasing shiny objects for their own sake than a solution to a vexing problem.

    If someone needs to really store their credit card information on their computer, OS-X has long had viable approaches for doing that. here are two quick ones:

    1) Open up the Keychain Access application and create a New Secure Note Item. You can use one note for each card or put the information form all of them all in one note. Copy and paste as needed.

    2) Open up the Disk Utility application and create a new encrypted disk image. Use any text editor or word processor you have available to jot the information into a file and save it in the disk image.

    Apple can easily put out a software application that will automatically do this and work with the existing ApplePay framework, no new hardware needed and it will work with presently available computers.

    TouchID sensors would not be more secure for doing this, otherwise Apple will have to explain why all of these years the security for the Keychain Access app and Disk Utility (and by extension — FileVault) has not been up to the task when they have been stressing how safe it is, which then begs the question of why we should expect this new technology to work…

    You may remember Steve Jobs’ saying that blu-ray was a bag of hurt because of the massive changes it required being made to the underlying operating system, that same thing will be required here.

    This reduces the hardware’s reliability by a non-trivial amount. The more parts there are to break the more likely it will. Keep in mind that has been easier to replace your phone every year or so because the company you get service from has been splitting the payments (and charging you for doing so). Do you really want to have to replace your laptop or desktop computer every year or so?

    A software approach can be changed. Hardware encryption works well until it is cracked. Then continually using it is hazardous, a liability. So while right now you may be able to afford to get into an arms race and buy new laptops as the old ones are cracked every few months, do you really think you will be able to do so two years from now?

    • Jared (@GreyJammies) - 9 years ago

      Jerry I can see you’re rather upset by this idea but I don’t really know why. There is a significant amount of benefit to be had. Eliminating passwords for one would be fantastic and worth it on its own. You mention two secure ways to store credit card information which are both accurate and valid but they are also much more power user oriented. The vast majority of users have no idea keychain exists much less how to create secure notes. Even fewer people know about disk utility and creating secure DMGs. Also, neither solution is particularly clean and elegant. Trust me on this. I’m an enterprise Mac admin and my users had to be shown keychain exists and what it is. Apple typically excels at making technology accessible for average people. That is one of the beauties of Apple Pay. It just works. It’s dead simple.

      As for your other points they seem to be more histrionics than anything or off the mark altogether. Touch ID on the Mac wouldn’t be about making it more secure than the other software based technologies that are built in but about making things work seamlessly and easily.

      Steve said that blu-ray was a bag of hurt because of licensing, not due to underlying OS changes that would need to be made.

      I don’t see how adding an additional method of authentication is going reduce hardware functionality by a non-trivial amount. These seem to be fairly reliable sensors since we don’t have reports of wide scale touch id sensor failure in the millions and millions of iPhones that are out there that have them built in. Even in the event of the touch id sensor failing you could either just live with it being broken or take it in to an Apple store to get it replaced under applecare or for a fee.

      Lastly, this is the most valid concern I think you present but again I think it’s really a minor concern overall. This tech has been built into iPhones since, what, the 5S? I would guess that there have been people working really hard to find a flaw since that time and they haven’t. Apple invested a ton of money and engineering talent in making sure that’s secure so the chances of it being cracked are slim to none. They have a lot riding on that being secure. In the event of that being cracked my guess is that they would immediately disable the hardware in all Macs that contained it via software update and potentially replace the hardware in question.

      Likely this response won’t change your feelings on the issue but I at least wanted to address your points and allay your concerns.

      • You are mentioning two opposing ideas in the same breath…

        “The vast majority of users have no idea keychain exists much less how to create secure notes. Even fewer people know about disk utility and creating secure DMGs. Also, neither solution is particularly clean and elegant. Trust me on this. I’m an enterprise Mac admin and my users had to be shown keychain exists and what it is. ”

        immediately followed by (in the very next sentence):

        “Apple typically excels at making technology accessible for average people.”

        It sounds like you are trying to have it both ways as in it is too hard for Apple users to use, yet Apple makes it easy.

        Once your users were shown how to use it, did they indeed find it easy and useful?

        I did mention those two as quick ideas that could be used by Apple or any developer but most likely by Apple to implement ApplePay type services. These are not difficult as a backend for app developers at all.

        The point of what I wrote is that when adding complexity and cost there needs to be a good reason. Apple has historically done well at that. I do not see taking a laptop to the grocery store and trying to pay the bill at the checkout line while juggling stuff in the cart with trying to tap the TouchID sensor as a grand idea needing implementation.

  11. In terms of MacBooks, Apple could go one of two ways. They could integrate the sensor into the Magic TrackPad or the Power button. As for desktops, or those looking to add the functionality to an older MacBook – Touch ID would need to be integrated in the Magic TrackPad or Mouse itself. Ideally, behind the glass seamlessly alongside everything else. The secure enclave should exist within these accessories themselves.

    In terms of placing Touch ID in the Magic TrackPad, Mouse or MacBook TrackPad – Apple could go one of two ways. Firstly, they could place a single round sensor surrounded by LEDs that would light up to reveal the location of the sensor when one is being prompted for Apple Pay or other Touch ID uses. The alternative would be to place a Touch ID fingerprint reader either above or below the multi gesture sensor, creating one very large Touch ID sensor. This would allow the entire input area to scan your finger print. Although this option is much more costly, it could increase the security of Macs. If they could scan your fingerprint while you are performing normal activities like scrolling – then they could prevent others from hijacking your unlocked computer. Simply scan the prints every time the Magic TrackPad or Mouse is touched and lock the computer if it doesn’t match after 3 attempts.

    Of course, Apple will probably go with the first option.

    • I can see them integrating it into a button that doesn’t already have a huge block of text on it, which really rules out most keys already. And you want pressing on the key to be purposeful, since it does draw some energy any time you press on it to run Touch ID algorithms. I’m a bit wary of using the power key, it would be too easy to press which can have ill effects some times.

      Fn seems like the best bet. Out of the way, and does nothing on it’s own if you press/hold it.

  12. Pierre Calixte - 9 years ago

    I’ve been asking for this. hopefully the rumors are true.

  13. dailytut - 9 years ago

    Thats a great news, but i am disappointed with apple’s slow upgrade cycles in terms of hardware. Their newly launched macbook is overpriced for its performance and macbook pro still rocks.

    I recently come across macid (http://www.dailytut.com/apple/how-to-unlock-mac-with-touch-id-on-your-iphone.html) the app that allows us to unlock mac using iPhone’s touch id feature. The other one is Knock (https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/knock-unlock-your-mac-without/id692929970?mt=8) which does similar task without need to take the phone out from pocket.