macOS Big Sur suggests Face ID could be coming to the Mac
Apple might be about to give the Mac a huge upgrade, and I’m not just talking about the rumored redesigned iMac expected before the end of the year. I’m talking about Face ID.
Discovered within the developer beta of macOS Big Sur, 9to5Mac has found an extension with code to support a “PearlCamera” function on the Mac, a big hint that Face ID-equipped machines are in development, with “FaceDetect” and “BioCapture” references also discovered inside the extension too.
Why is the “PearlCamera” function discovery so important? “Pearl” is the codename that Apple has used for Face ID and the TrueDepth camera system since the iPhone X launched in 2017, so seeing the codename appear on the Mac with “FaceDetect” and “BioCapture” references is a huge deal.
Face ID on the Mac would allow for users to unlock their Mac with just a glance, but would also open up support for Animoji and Memoji in Messages on macOS, in addition to allowing users to authenticate Apple Pay and App Store purchases, and much more.
Bringing Face ID to the Mac seems like a natural progression. Touch ID came to the Mac in late 2016 after the technology launched on the iPhone 5S in 2013. It took Apple three years to bring Touch ID across to the Mac, and if Face ID were to launch on the Mac later this year, it would be three years since the technology made its debut on the iPhone X in 2017.
Rumors have long suggested Face ID may be coming to the Mac, with patent applications referencing the technology discovered last year, but reports have been limited.