While Apple was definitely not the first to introduce the face identification unlock feature in its devices, it was surely the first to refine it and do it better than the rest. And while they have come a long way since, they still have a lot to do in order to surpass the competition. The face ID unlock is surely a nifty feature. While said to be much safer than the touch ID, got busy or wet hands? Face unlock is here for you! Wearing gloves? You got face unlock! If you’re in Apple Eco system and planning to buy new Mac, here we have great new for you related Face ID.
It has undoubtedly been a boon for most users of iPhones and iPads that make use of this feature. But regrettably, the same can’t be said for Mac users. You still need to type in the password or set up your Apple Watch to auto unlock your Mac. Or else, depending on the model of your Apple Mac, you could even use fingerprint touch ID to unlock it. But there’s still hope to get the same face unlock feature on your Macintosh laptops!
If reports are to be believed, according to a 9to5Mac report, some codes have been discovered in the macOS Big Sur beta that indicate that the face unlock feature could be coming to Apple Macs in the near future. Extensions in the beta have been found with codes to support ‘PearlCamera’. This is Apple’s internal code name for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID features that were first revealed back in 2017 with the iPhone X leaks. In devices like the iPhone 11 and the iPad Pro, it is the TrueDepth camera that enables Face ID in these devices. But it’s not available for the Mac laptops currently.
It has also been reported that codes referencing FaceDetect and BioCapture have been found in the extensions as well. All of this seems to point to some biometric facial recognition feature of sorts that may soon grace the Mac devices. It has also been noticed by 9to5Mac that this Face ID extension was built purely for the macOS! If this feature does indeed get introduced, it can make using the next version of Safari with the iOS 14 and Big Sur updates, a much better experience. Then, users can login to websites with just their touch or face ID, without the need for passwords. However, the site would also need to support said features.
As of now, only the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices feature the touch ID integrated into its keyboards. Adding the Face ID unlock would make using them a more convenient experience too. It would be a great addition for the iMac as well as the device doesn’t have a built in keyboard as the device lacks a touch ID unlock. For that matter, it wouldn’t make sense for Apple to even add a touch ID unlock feature on a separate wireless keyboard due to being dependent on the T2 security chip.
After all’s said and done, one should take this with a pinch of salt nonetheless, as there is no idea of when Apple plans to roll out its Face ID on the mac devices and for which models either. While we don’t know how the face unlock feature will work, it can be expected to be in the same manner as the iPhone and iPad. Meanwhile, Apple fans can only wait and speculate for what only time will tell.
Deepanjan Datta
Management student who likes to write articles at times, into mobile photography and likes to cook as a hobby.
