Rumor: Face ID support coming to Mac

Rumors are starting to circulate that an upcoming Mac may include support for Apple's Face ID.

As reported by Spanish blog Ipadizaté, Twitter user @blue_kanikama has posted screenshots of code suggesting that both macOS and tvOS are support platforms of Face ID, suggesting that a future Mac might include the technology.

Apple was granted a patent for technology akin to Face ID on the Mac last year, and now software findings suggest that vision may become a reality.

The screenshot shows the FaceID.plist file on a Mac, and notes that the support platforms are iOS, tvOS and macOS.

https://twitter.com/blue_kanikama/status/1272535744750350336?

Some outlets have also reported on the same account's depiction of Face ID on the rumored new iMac as some kind of leaked schematic when it is in fact only a concept. Nonetheless, it is a cool example of how Apple could embed a True Depth camera into the bezel of the iMac where the crummy 720p camera currently sits.

https://twitter.com/blue_kanikama/status/1272533693047791618?

This information doesn't come from a source with an established track record, so treat this with plenty of caution. One Twitter commenter noted that the support listed here may refer to support for unlocking your Mac using Face ID from your iPhone, in a concept similar to current support for unlocking a Mac with an Apple Watch, as opposed to Face ID hardware built into a Mac.

However, Face ID on a Mac would make plenty of sense. As mentioned Apple has patented the tech previously, so it has obviously given at least some thought to the prospect. Furthermore, Apple's True Depth camera could sit easily within the bezel of a Mac in the same way it does the iPad without creating the controversial notch the iPhone has. The only possible roadblock could be the lack of room within the incredibly thin housing of a MacBook that could make placing a Face ID camera tricky, which is why Face ID coming to an iMac first would make some sense.

Veracity aside, this is certainly an intriguing prospect. Overnight, leaked iOS 14 code appears to have revealed the icon for a new iMac which could hint at a redesign in line with the design language of the iPad Pro.