Apple moved away from Touch ID authentication technology with the launch of the iPhone X in 2017. The smartphone brought an all-new facial recognition system called Face ID. Apple has not looked back on the technology ever since, despite rumors claiming that the Touch ID will make a comeback. According to a new report, the iPhone 16 lineup will not feature Touch ID technology as Apple has no plans to bring it back in the near future.
While the iPhone is a different story, Apple does use Touch ID on the iPad mini 6 and iPad Air models. The company is offering Touch ID on the budget variants of the iPad as the ‘Pro’ models have been upgraded to feature Face ID as well. According to the integrated circuit expert on Weibo, Apple has no plans to bring back Touch ID on the iPhone as it has stopped manufacturing chips used in the process.
Currently, Apple only offers Touch ID on its budget-friendly iPhone SE lineup. Besides this, the company does not plan to offer Touch ID on the iPhone. It makes sense for Apple to move away from the Touch ID technology as it is working to embed the TrueDepth camera sensors under the display. This will allow the iPhone to feature a Face ID authentication system under the display, allowing for a full-screen user experience.
However, rumors regarding Apple bringing back Touch ID on the iPhone have been circulating for a while. The company is also working on the next generation iPhone SE 4, which will move away from Touch ID and house all the components for Face ID. The company could either be looking to move away from Touch ID entirely or working on an all-new mechanism for authentication systems.
Note that the company will not use Touch ID in the Home or Power button if it plans to bring it back. We have reported earlier that the company is exploring options to integrate Touch ID under the display, similar to Samsung and other Android smartphone manufacturers. However, Apple’s rendition could be slightly different if it follows its plans. It remains to be seen if Apple will use Face ID or Touch ID to put under the display.
According to prior reports, Apple plans to make the changes mentioned above in 2026 on the iPhone. The source does hold credibility in its claims as it was the first to detail that the iPhone 14 will feature the same chip as its predecessor. Regardless, take the news with a grain of salt as the final word rests with Apple.
Wccftech Apple is planning to move away from Touch ID shuts down chip manufacturing Apple Touch ID
