Touch ID
By MacRumors Staff on September 10, 2026
Jump to How Tos Articles
Touch ID is Apple's biometric fingerprint recognition system, used to verify Apple Pay payments and to supplement device passcodes and in-app passwords. First introduced in 2013, Touch ID is built into the Home buttons of the iPhone 5s through iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the iPad mini 3 and later, the iPad Air 2 and later, 2017 and 2018 iPad models, and the 2015 through 2017 iPad Pro. Touch ID is also present on recent MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.
Starting with the iPhone X in 2017, Apple began shifting away from Touch ID in favor of Face ID for authentication, and the iPad Pro followed suit in 2018.
Touch ID is built around a capacitive touch sensor that can read and analyze sub-epidermal skin layers to identify each person's unique fingerprint to make tasks like downloading apps and unlocking iOS devices more convenient. Touch ID is available in Apple's own apps and in third-party apps, allowing users to protect sensitive data like passwords or notes with a fingerprint.
Fingerprint data used for Touch ID is stored directly on each iOS device in a "Secure Enclave" and is never accessible in the cloud.
Starting with the iPhone X in 2017, Apple began shifting away from Touch ID in favor of Face ID for authentication, and the iPad Pro followed suit in 2018.
Touch ID is built around a capacitive touch sensor that can read and analyze sub-epidermal skin layers to identify each person's unique fingerprint to make tasks like downloading apps and unlocking iOS devices more convenient. Touch ID is available in Apple's own apps and in third-party apps, allowing users to protect sensitive data like passwords or notes with a fingerprint.
Fingerprint data used for Touch ID is stored directly on each iOS device in a "Secure Enclave" and is never accessible in the cloud.
Touch ID How Tos
How to Discreetly Disable Touch ID and Face ID on an iPhone
Friday September 22, 2017 9:07 am PDT by Juli Clover
There's an Emergency SOS feature built into iOS 11 that has hidden functionality -- it automatically disables Touch ID and makes it so your passcode has to be entered to unlock your iPhone.
Because it essentially shuts down the biometrics on your device, you can't be compelled by a police officer or malicious person to unlock your iPhone with a fingerprint, nor can your fingerprint be used to...
How to Password Protect Notes in iOS 9.3 and OS X 10.11.4
Wednesday March 23, 2016 1:34 pm PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Although more prominent features like Night Shift and a few new Quick Actions are getting the spotlight with the launch of iOS 9.3, one new lesser-known update is definitely worth checking out. In iOS 9.3, Apple has improved the functionality of its first-party Notes app with the ability to add password or Touch ID security for individual notes.
The feature allows users to prevent access to...
Touch ID Articles
This Popular iPhone Feature Is Back After a Four-Year Hiatus
Thursday September 10, 2026 1:56 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has brought Touch ID back to the iPhone, just not in the location that longtime users will remember.
Apple's newly announced iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable iPhone, doesn't have Face ID like Apple's other iPhones. Instead, it uses a Touch ID sensor built into the side button. It can be used to authenticate the same way whether the device is open or closed.
This makes it the ...
Apple No Longer Sells Any iPhones With a Home Button
Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:09 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The new iPhone 16e unveiled today features Face ID instead of Touch ID. As a result, Apple no longer sells any new iPhone models with a Home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched all the way back in 2007.
After debuting in 2007, the Home button gained Touch ID fingerprint authentication when the iPhone 5s launched in 2013. Apple began phasing out the Home button when...
Report: Touch ID Will Not Return on iPhone 16
Wednesday November 22, 2023 5:46 am PST by Hartley Charlton
Apple's iPhone 16 lineup will not see the return of Touch ID fingerprint authentication technology, a new report claims.
The information comes from an integrated circuit expert on Weibo with a track record for sharing information about Apple's plans. In a new post, they explained that most of the equipment originally used to manufacture the chips required for the iPhone's version of Touch ID...
Apple Working on Under-Display Touch ID, Could Debut in First All-Screen iPhone
Thursday March 9, 2023 5:43 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is continuing to research under-screen fingerprint sensor technology for an iPhone with a view to re-introducing Touch ID in its first full-screen model, according to a new rumor.
Ever since Face ID debuted in 2017's iPhone X, Apple's roadmap for Touch ID on iPhones has been murky at best, with some industry observers suggesting that Apple considers Face ID an exclusive all-in-one...
Recapping Rumors About Under-Screen Face ID and Touch ID on Future iPhones
Thursday January 13, 2022 4:17 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Earlier this week, display industry consultant Ross Young claimed that iPhone 14 Pro models will feature both hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts that replace the notch. If this design proves to be accurate, it rules out Face ID fully under the display this year.
In light of this latest rumor, we have put together a recap of everything that we have heard so far about Face ID and Touch ID on...
Touch ID Not Returning With iPhone 13, Despite Apple Testing Under-Screen Sensor
Monday August 23, 2021 3:14 am PDT by Sami Fathi
Despite having tested and worked on the technology, Apple has decided not to include an under-screen Touch ID sensor with the upcoming iPhone 13, continuing to leave customers with Face ID as the only biometric authentication option for the iPhone.
Apple had been testing Touch ID technology that would have allowed the company to place the sensor under the display on the iPhone, allowing...
Apple Developing 'Enhanced' Under-Display Touch ID System
Thursday March 18, 2021 8:00 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
Apple is refining its as yet unused under-display fingerprint scanning technology, seemingly ahead of bringing Touch ID back to the iPhone, according to a newly-published patent application.
The patent application, first spotted by Patently Apple and filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, is titled "Under-display fingerprint sensing based on off-axis angular light" and...
iPhone 13 Models Will 'Likely' Have Touch ID Under the Display
Friday March 12, 2021 8:43 am PST by Joe Rossignol
iPhone 13 models slated for release later this year will "likely" feature a fingerprint scanner embedded under the display for authentication, in addition to Face ID, according to Barclays analyst Andrew Gardiner and three of his colleagues.
In a research note shared with MacRumors today, the analysts added that iPhone 13 models will feature a smaller notch and that the LiDAR Scanner will...
When Will Apple Add Touch ID to the iPhone's Power Button?
Thursday March 4, 2021 2:42 am PST by Hartley Charlton
Despite the hopes of some users that Touch ID will return to the iPhone via placement in the power button, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is usually in-the-know about what Apple is working on behind the scenes, has said that there no immediate sign of the change.
In September of last year, Apple introduced the fourth-generation iPad Air with Touch ID integrated into its power button,...
iPhone 13 May Revive Touch ID [Updated]
Thursday December 10, 2020 1:31 am PST by Hartley Charlton
Although Apple has not included Touch ID on a flagship iPhone since the iPhone 7 in 2016, rumors are now indicating that the authentication technology could be making a return in next year's iPhone 13.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has repeatedly said that Apple is developing an iPhone with Touch ID integrated into its power button for release in 2021. However, this is expected to...
Kuo: 2021 iPhone With Touch ID Power Button to Feature LCD Display
Wednesday January 29, 2020 10:11 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to release an iPhone with a Touch ID power button on the side of the device in the first half of 2021, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo has now revealed that the iPhone will feature an LCD display, further suggesting that it will be a lower-cost model. Last month, Kuo claimed the device will lack Face ...
Apple's Greg Joswiak Says Touch ID Will 'Continue to Have a Role'
Monday September 9, 2019 6:37 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's vice president of product marketing Greg Joswiak recently spoke with the UK's Daily Express about the future of its biometric authentication systems, noting that while Face ID will be expanded to more devices over time, Touch ID will "continue to have a role" for the foreseeable future.
"Certainly, we'll continue to put it on more devices but also Touch ID will continue to have a...
Bloomberg: Apple Planning iPhone With Both Face ID and Touch ID Under Display by 2021
Thursday September 5, 2019 5:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is developing an in-display fingerprint scanner for future iPhones, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu.
The report claims Apple is considering including the in-display scanner in a 2020 iPhone if testing is successful, but adds there is a possibility the tech will not be ready until 2021. This lines up with a prediction from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who expects...
Kuo: 2021 iPhone Will Feature Fingerprint-Sensing Display in Addition to Face ID
Monday August 5, 2019 3:23 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will launch an iPhone equipped with both Face ID and an on-display fingerprint sensor in 2021, according to a new investor note by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and obtained by MacRumors.
Kuo's prediction is based on Apple's patents related to fingerprint on display (FOD) and the continued use of the technology in Android smartphones, which together suggest to him that Apple will opt to...
Apple Promotes Face ID as Even Easier and More Secure Than Touch ID in Humorous New iPhone Ad
Monday July 8, 2019 5:57 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's latest iPhone ad humorously demonstrates how Face ID is more convenient and secure than Touch ID for user authentication.
Timed with midsummer, the 30-second spot depicts a man napping on a reclining lounger in a backyard. After receiving a trio of iMessage notifications on his iPhone XR, he slowly raises the lounger to line up his face with the iPhone and unlocks the device with Face ...
2020 iPhones May Have Full-Screen Touch ID, New iPhone SE Based on iPhone 8 Also Possible Next Year
Friday May 24, 2019 7:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis and his associates today shared their expectations for both 2019 and 2020 model iPhones following their trip to Asia earlier this month, where they met with some suppliers within Apple's supply chain.
MacRumors render of 2019 iPhones with triple-lens rear cameras
Our summary of the research note, shared with MacRumors:The trio of high-end 2019 iPhones will have...
Popularity of OLED Smartphones With In-Display Fingerprint Scanners Continues to Grow in 2019
Monday April 22, 2019 3:55 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
The popularity of OLED smartphones with in-display fingerprint sensors will continue to gather pace in 2019, DigiTimes reports this morning, despite Apple's decision to move away from the technology in favor of face recognition.
Citing industry sources, the report says that rising popularity for fingerprint scanners in smartphone screens is being driven by a reduction in sensor prices and the...
Police Can't Force You to Unlock an iPhone Using Face ID or Touch ID, California Judge Rules
Monday January 14, 2019 4:20 pm PST by Juli Clover
Law enforcement officials can't force smartphone users to unlock their devices using fingerprints or other biometric features such as facial recognition, according to a Northern California court ruling from last week.
The ruling, which was shared this morning by Forbes, was the result of an Oakland investigation into possible extortion. Police officers asked the court for permission to seize...
One Analyst Thinks the Next iPhone Will Have a USB-C Port, Smaller Notch, and Touch ID Under Display
Friday January 4, 2019 7:46 am PST by Joe Rossignol
At least one new iPhone released in 2019 will sport a USB-C port, smaller notch, and the return of Touch ID under the display, according to Jean Baptiste Su, Vice-President and Principal Analyst at consulting firm Atherton Research.
Su shared his prediction in a Forbes column about Apple lowering its revenue guidance for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year:Although we believe that...
Hands-On With the In-Screen Fingerprint Technology in the New OnePlus 6T
Friday November 9, 2018 2:02 pm PST by Juli Clover
Back before the iPhone X came out, there were rumors suggesting Apple would do away with the Home button by implementing Touch ID under the display of the device, preserving the fingerprint sensor while allowing for an edge-to-edge display.
That didn't end up happening and Apple ultimately replaced Touch ID with Face ID, but since then, other companies have implemented in-display fingerprint...
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