Many iPhone and iPad models allow you to unlock your device with your face using Face ID, but on a Mac, you still need to type in your password, set your Apple Watch to automatically unlock your Mac, or depending on the Mac model you have, use your fingerprint digital with Touch ID. But the code supposedly discovered in the latest beta version of macOS Big Sur by 9to5Mac suggests that Face ID may also be coming to Mac sometime in the future.
The code in the beta version apparently references Apple’s code name for the TrueDepth camera, according to 9to5Mac. The TrueDepth camera is what Face ID enables on Face ID compatible devices like the iPhone 11 and iPad Pro, but no currently available Macs have one. The code also reportedly has snippets that mention the terms “FaceDetect” and “BioCapture,” which appears to point to some kind of biometric facial recognition.
If facial recognition technology hits Mac, it looks like it could be used to unlock your device and with augmented reality apps that map your face. (Maybe the new Zoom trend will turn into fun Zoom masks instead of Zoom backgrounds.) And Face ID on Mac could come in handy if you’re using the next version of Safari, which will launch with iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur, as that new version will allow you to log into websites without a password just by using Touch ID or Face ID. , provided that the websites support the feature.
However, it is unclear which Macs could be receiving Face ID, or when they could get it, if they do, so we will have to wait and see if Apple finally brings the technology to their computers.
