Software
Apple's Macs can get Face ID, as coding in macOS Big Sur potentially reveals.
Most iPhone and iPad versions require you to open your computer using your face using Face ID, but you do need to type in your password on a Pc, set up your Apple Watch to manually open your Pc, or use your Touch ID fingerprint based on the Mac model you have. But code recently found in 9to5Mac 's new MacOS Big Sur beta indicates that Face ID could come to Macs at launch.
The coding in the beta, according to 9to5Mac, presumably corresponds to Apple's codename for the TrueDepth phone. The TrueDepth sensor is what makes Face ID in Face ID-capable apps such as the iPhone 11 and iPad Pro, but no Macs actually have one available.
The application also allegedly includes snippets pointing to the words "FaceDetect" and "BioCapture," which seems to contribute at some form of biometric facial recognition.
If the technology of facial recognition finds its way to Macs, it seems likely to use it to open your computer and track your face for virtual reality devices. (The latest Zoom trend could turn into fun Zoom masks instead of Zoom backgrounds)
And Face ID on the Mac could come in handy if you're using the next version of Safari, which is expected to ship with iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur, as the latest update would allow you to log in to websites without a password just by using Touch ID or Face ID, as long as websites accept the app.
It's not obvious, though, which Macs would get Face ID, or when they should get it, if they do at all, so we'll just have to wait to see whether Apple can actually introduce the feature to their devices.
