Apple Macs might get Face ID, macOS Big Sur code indicates

You can unlock your iPhone and iPads with Face ID but on the Apple Mac, you still need to type in your password or set up your Apple Watch to auto-unlock your Mac. Or depending on which model of the Apple Mac you haven you can also use your fingerprint with Touch ID.

However, there’s hope. Code discovered in the macOS Big Sur beta, according to a 9to5Mac report, indicates that Face ID could be coming to Apple Macs sometime in the future.

The code that’s been spotted apparently is a reference to Apple’s codename for the TrueDepth camera, according to reports. This TrueDepth camera is what essentially enables Face ID in the devices that are equipped to support Face ID - like the iPhone and the iPads. This feature hasn’t been seen on the Mac yet.

The code in the macOS Big Sur beta also has snippets mentioning terms like ‘FaceDetect’, and ‘BioCapture’ etc that point at a biometric facial recognition of some sort.

If this code is anything to go by and facial recognition tech does come to Macs, it is likely that it is going to be used to unlock the device with augmented reality apps that map your face. 

The Face ID on the Mac could come in pretty handy if you are using the next version of Safari that will ship with iOS 14 and the Big Sur. The new version of Safari lets your log into websites using just your Touch ID or your Face ID, no password needed. This works only if the website in question supports that feature.

However, please take this code and speculation with a pinch of salt for now, we have no clue about if and when Apple plans to get this tech to the Macs. And if it does, whether it plans to roll it out to all computers.

The Big Sur was announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2020 and brings in some really handy new features to the Apple Macs.