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Apple reportedly testing in-screen Touch ID for the next iPhone

The next iPhone could feature both Face ID and a version of Touch ID using an optical fingerprint scanner built into the display.

Following many previous reports that Apple has been investigating under-display optical Touch ID, a new claim says that the feature is in testing. If correct, it backs up predictions that the technology will appear in the "iPhone 13."

According to the Wall Street Journal, two unnamed former Apple employees have confirmed that a new optical Touch ID may be featured alongside the existing Face ID.

One former employee previously worked on Touch ID and said that an optical version could be more reliable than the existing ultrasonic technique. However, this source also said that Apple would not adopt optical fingerprint sensing unless it proved to be as secure as the current Touch ID.

Touch ID is currently used in the iPhone SE, iPad, and MacBooks. Most recently, Apple moved the Touch ID sensor to the sleep/wake button on the iPad Air 4.

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21 Comments

roake 11 Years · 820 comments

I wear a mask all day.  Face ID is great, but useless with the mask.  The return of Touch ID would be SO NICE...

I would like to see security options that could allow requirements for both Touch and Face ID (and possibly passcode), combinations of these, or none of them (security off).

I also want to see a “poison finger” option where, if a certain finger is used on the fingerprint scanner, the phone is disabled and wiped.

9 Likes · 0 Dislikes
SpamSandwich 20 Years · 32917 comments

roake said:
I wear a mask all day.  Face ID is great, but useless with the mask.  The return of Touch ID would be SO NICE...

I would like to see security options that could allow requirements for both Touch and Face ID (and possibly passcode), combinations of these, or none of them (security off).

I also want to see a “poison finger” option where, if a certain finger is used on the fingerprint scanner, the phone is disabled and wiped.

I’d be OK with a pattern that would erase a locked phone, not just one finger. The chances of accidental erasure would be too great.

5 Likes · 0 Dislikes
wood1208 11 Years · 2942 comments

Under-screen touch ID is work/tech in progress. When it reaches to perfection of current touch id; Apple will adopt.

1 Like · 0 Dislikes
pulseimages 9 Years · 669 comments

wood1208 said:
Under-screen touch ID is work/tech in progress. When it reaches to perfection of current touch id; Apple will adopt.

My brother-in-law has a Samsung Galaxy S10 with built in touch-ID and it’s reliable and fast. 

1 Like · 0 Dislikes