Face ID replaced Touch ID on the iPhone starting with the iPhone X in 2017. Since then, there have been scattered rumors that Apple is potentially adding Touch ID to the iPhone, but nothing has actually materialized. .
Now a new report from Bloomberg says that while Apple has been testing adding Face ID to the iPhone, it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.
In the latest edition of his To light up newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple has been testing on-screen Touch ID for the iPhone and also considered adding Touch ID to the power button, similar to the iPad Air and iPad mini.
Ultimately, though, even though Apple has tested both of these things, Gurman thinks it’s unlikely either will see the light of day “at least anytime for the foreseeable future.”
Over the past few years there have been discussions within Apple to bring Touch ID back to high-end iPhones. The company tested Touch ID on the screen and even considered putting it on the power button. At this point, I think Face ID is here to stay, and Touch ID won’t be coming back to flagship iPhones, at least anytime for the foreseeable future.
One possibility suggested by Gurman is that Apple could move Touch ID to the power button on lower-end iPhones, such as the iPhone SE. While it’s similar to the forking of Face ID and Touch ID on the iPad, Gurman says he hasn’t “heard anything about it being in the works.
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Personally, I would like to see Touch ID return to the iPhone at some point in the future. Face ID has improved dramatically over the years, especially now that it works in landscape mode as well as with face masks. There are still situations where having Touch ID as an option would also be useful.
As I’ve noted in the past, there’s also a security benefit to having both Face ID and Touch ID on the iPhone. For example, you might require both Face ID authentication and Touch ID authentication to access ultra-sensitive information.
What do you think? Do you hope to see Touch ID return to the iPhone at some point? Let us know in the comments.
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