Mark Gurman: Face ID on the Mac is likely coming within a couple of years, and all iPhones and iPads will transition to Face ID within that timeframe, too
but there's a catch Oliver Haslam / iMore : Gurman: Face ID could be on Macs, all iPhones and iPads soon Vanshika Malhotra / BGR India : Face ID to reach Macs, all iPhones and iPads in a couple of years Iskra Petrova / phonearena.com : The iPhone 13 event will most likely be an online event yet another year, claims industry analyst Roland Udvarlaki / Pocketnow : Gurman: Face ID will be on Macs, iPhones and iPads within a ‘couple of years’ Chris Smith / BGR : Insider says one of the iPhone's most sophisticated features is coming to MacBooks Luke Dormehl / Cult of Mac : Smile! Face ID may come to Mac in the next couple of years Malcolm Owen / AppleInsider : Face ID could reach Mac lineup within a ‘couple of years’ Chance Miller / 9to5Mac : Gurman: iPhone 13 event likely to be virtual as Apple delays return to in-person work Corina Garcia / FrontPageTech.com : Markus Gurman: Face ID Coming to the Mac, All iPhones and iPads Within ‘Couple of Years’ Gurman / iClarified : Apple to Eventually Bring Face ID to All Macs, iPhones, iPads Nehal Malik / iPhone in Canada Blog : The Mac Could Get Face ID in a ‘Couple of Years’: Gurman Aisha Malik / mobilesyrup.com : Apple may bring Face ID to the Mac within a couple of years: report Matt Milano / IT Management : Macs Could Gain Face ID in a ‘Couple of Years’ Imran Hussain / iThinkDifferent : Apple to put Face ID on all iPhones and iPads as well as Macs in the coming years Jack Purcher / Patently Apple : While Apple is on record with a Face ID Patent for Future Macs, today a major leaker claims it's a feature in-the-works Omar Sohail / Wccftech : Macs With Face ID Will Not Be Available for a Couple of Years Sam Kohl / AppleTrack : Gurman: Most iPhones, iPads and Macs will get Face ID ‘within a couple of years’ Sanuj Bhatia / iPhone Hacks : Face ID Coming to Mac Within a “Couple of Years” Tweets: Sami Fathi / @samifathi_ : @iamkhumarr I'd consider the Mac with Touch ID and Apple Watch unlock two forms of authentication. Even the iPhone with Face ID and Apple Watch unlock. Sami Fathi / @samifathi_ : Unfortunate news for anyone expecting Face ID to show up on the upcoming 27-inch iMac redesign. https://twitter.com/... Justin Flood / @justinflood : I'd really love two-factor biometrics on the iPhone & iPad. FaceID + TouchID would be great security for purchases. (My 5yr old has already attempted to buy something on the iPad and point the camera at me) https://twitter.com/... Anshel Sag / @anshelsag : Honestly, it blows my mind that Mac's still don't have FaceID or touch screens https://twitter.com/...
Context & Ripple Effects
The forecast builds on TrueDepth-camera references found in a macOS beta and extends an earlier prediction that iPhones would move from Touch ID to Face ID. It frames Apple’s biometric strategy as a common hardware direction for Macs as well as mobile devices.
Later redesign reporting, however, includes a foldable iPhone plan featuring Touch ID, indicating that Apple’s device-specific design choices may not follow a single uninterrupted migration path.
First-order effects
- Apple’s reported roadmap puts Face ID integration on future Macs alongside a planned shift of remaining iPhone and iPad models away from Touch ID.
- Apple buyers would encounter the same biometric authentication method across the company’s Mac, iPhone, and iPad lines if the plan is executed.
Second-order effects
- A common Face ID approach would make Apple’s hardware roadmap more dependent on bringing its facial-recognition components and device designs to each product category.
- The reported all-device transition raises the stakes for Touch ID’s role in Apple’s portfolio, while the later foldable report shows Apple may retain it where product design calls for it.
Third-order effects
- Apple is moving toward a more unified authentication layer across its device ecosystem, but the foldable reporting suggests biometric standards can remain product-specific rather than fully standardized.
- If this pattern holds, Mac differentiation will increasingly be shaped by how Apple ports iPhone-era hardware capabilities into computers, as its earlier ARM Mac transition similarly signaled.
The trend: Apple’s device strategy is converging around shared core technologies across product lines, while preserving exceptions for distinct form factors.