Some iPhone and iPad models have Face ID, which allows users to unlock the device through advanced facial recognition. While Face ID is not yet available on any Mac, 9to5Mac He found references to the TrueDepth camera in macOS Big Sur, suggesting that Apple is working to bring facial recognition to its computers.
We were able to find a new extension in macOS Big Sur beta 3 with codes intended to support “PearlCamera”. You may not remember it, but this is the internal codename that Apple uses for the TrueDepth and Face ID camera, which was first revealed with leaks of the iPhone X in 2017.
Codes like “FaceDetect” and “BioCapture” found within this extension confirm that Apple is preparing macOS to operate with Face ID, as these codes are similar to those used by iOS. We researched and this Face ID extension was clearly built for macOS, and is not a remnant code from Catalyst technology.
However, implementation is still in the early stages, so it might be some time before Apple announces a new Mac model with the TrueDepth camera to support Face ID.
Only MacBook Air and MacBook Pro currently have biometric authentication via Touch ID built into the keyboard. Having Face ID on the Mac would provide even more convenience for unlocking the computer, and would also fit nicely on iMac, which doesn’t have a built-in keyboard. Since Touch ID relies on the T2 security chip, it would be impractical for Apple to add it to a separate wireless keyboard.
Another important aspect is the Neural Engine, which has been part of the A series processors since the introduction of the A11 Bionic chip. This neural technology is central to the way Face ID works, as it analyzes details of the user’s face through machine learning models in just a fraction of a second, but no Mac has yet included Neural Engine.
This will change this year with the transition from Intel processors to Apple Silicon chips on the Mac, as Apple itself has confirmed that Macs running Apple SoCs will have the same neural engine as the iPhone and iPad. We think that could be the main reason why Apple has not yet introduced a Mac with Face ID.
We still don’t know any more details on how Face ID will work on Mac, but presumably it will work the same way as on iPhone and iPad. In addition to Face ID, the TrueDepth camera also supports features like animated Memoji and better integration with augmented reality applications.
With the first Apple Silicon Mac later this year, users will also be able to run any iOS app on macOS, which is undoubtedly one more reason to have the TrueDepth camera on Mac.
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