Apple adds Touch ID security in updated iOS, macOS versions of Numbers, Pages & Keynote

Alongside macOS 10.12.4 Sierra and iOS 10.3 releases, Apple has also updated its Numbers, Pages, and Keynote productivity apps with Touch ID authentication, and assorted bug fixes.

Keynote now allows users to import Keynote 1 presentations, post presentations on other websites like Medium and WordPress-hosted sites, easily replace missing forts, and quickly open password-protected presentations using Touch ID on the 2016 MacBook Pro, or any iOS device with the fingerprint sensor.

Pages improvements include better text formatting, bookmarking, mathematical equation entry with LaTeX or MathML notation, RTF import and export, language and region time and currency customization, and also allows for Touch ID authentication for protected documents.

Numbers adds the ability to add current or historical stock information to spreadsheets, a new My Stocks template, a new editing process for data and formula entry, improved text formatting, rich text editing within table cells, and the same Touch ID support as found in Keynote and Pages.

For iOS, all three apps require iOS 10.0 or later. Keynote occupies 695MB of device storage space, with Pages, and Numbers taking 481MB and 361MB respectively. All three apps cost $9.99, but are included free with new devices — so most users that have purchased an iOS device new in the last four years already have access to the app suite.

While the three productivity apps were released at the same time as iOS 10.3, none of them require it. Apple's iOS 10.3 update includes Find My AirPods, APFS implementation, and other improvements for developers and the App Store.

The macOS versions all require macOS 10.12 or greater, and retail for $19.99, but again, most users already have a license for the suite. Numbers occupies 173MB, with Pages demanding 230MB, and Keynote taking 472MB.

9 Comments

SpamSandwich 32917 comments · 19 Years

About 7 years ago

A reminder that any documents you want to remain secure and away from prying eyes should not be locked using Touch ID only.

JanNL 328 comments · 9 Years

SpamSandwich said:

A reminder that any documents you want to remain secure and away from prying eyes should not be locked using Touch ID only.

Can you please explain? Why is Touch ID not sufficient? Thanks.

anome 1545 comments · 16 Years

JanNL said:

SpamSandwich said:

A reminder that any documents you want to remain secure and away from prying eyes should not be locked using Touch ID only.

Can you please explain? Why is Touch ID not sufficient? Thanks.

I would guess that it's because of the grey area around whether the police can require you to unlock Touch ID without a warrant. Or that you can even be physically coerced into unlocking Touch ID. (Although I doubt many people have to worry about someone grabbing their thumb and forcing it onto the sensor.)
Aside from the legal issues, Touch ID is pretty secure. Whether you need to worry about law enforcement access, or someone using coercion of some sort is for you to decide.

anome said:

JanNL said:

SpamSandwich said:

A reminder that any documents you want to remain secure and away from prying eyes should not be locked using Touch ID only.

Can you please explain? Why is Touch ID not sufficient? Thanks.

I would guess that it's because of the grey area around whether the police can require you to unlock Touch ID without a warrant. Or that you can even be physically coerced into unlocking Touch ID. (Although I doubt many people have to worry about someone grabbing their thumb and forcing it onto the sensor.)
Aside from the legal issues, Touch ID is pretty secure. Whether you need to worry about law enforcement access, or someone using coercion of some sort is for you to decide.

Actually it isn't a legal gray area. Recent rulings have made it crystal clear that a person cannot prevent an unlock of a device using their fingerprint if so ordered by law enforcement. One cannot be compelled to provide a password/passcode to unlock a device. It's the differnce between having something on you (your finger) versus your private thoughts. I suppose if a person had their password written down somewhere that could be collected and used properly and legally.

mdriftmeyer 7395 comments · 20 Years

Nice to see LaTeX and MathML formula support. Wishlist still includes full Embedded TeXLive access to create full XeTeX embedded objects that manage all the formatting, while letting Pages manage the DTP aspects.