Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Technical feasibility of a standalone Touch ID

  • Several comments argue it’s clearly technically possible: Apple already ships Touch ID in standalone keyboards, which securely pair with the Mac’s secure enclave over USB/Bluetooth.
  • One view: a Touch ID “button box” is essentially the existing keyboard’s secure element and sensor without the keys.
  • Others note that older Apple Watches effectively act as standalone secure authenticators, reinforcing that external secure elements are feasible.

Market size and Apple’s incentives

  • Strong skepticism that the market is big enough for Apple to care: it targets massive-volume products and already exited more lucrative accessory lines (e.g. Wi‑Fi).
  • A standalone sensor might cannibalize $150 Touch ID keyboard sales and even some Apple Watch value.
  • Even users who really want it admit they’d only pay ~$50–60, suggesting lower revenue per user than current bundles.
  • Counterpoint: a meaningful subset of Mac users with third‑party keyboards or KVM setups say they would buy such a device immediately.

Who actually wants this

  • Primary demand comes from:
    • People with RSI or ergonomics needs using split/mechanical keyboards (Kinesis, Keychron, etc.).
    • Desktop or clamshell‑laptop users whose MacBook Touch ID is out of reach.
  • Some say typing long passwords repeatedly is annoying but not quite annoying enough to guarantee they’d buy a separate box.

Existing workarounds and DIY solutions

  • Multiple users buy used Magic Keyboards and:
    • Mount the entire keyboard under the desk just for Touch ID.
    • Physically extract the Touch ID module into 3D‑printed or LEGO enclosures.
    • Even rewire the Apple logic board into custom mechanical keyboards.

Alternatives: Apple Watch, Face ID, YubiKey

  • Apple Watch unlock is seen as conceptually similar but often buggy, slow, and less reliable than Touch ID; also requires an iPhone to set up and isn’t truly biometric.
  • YubiKey (and PIV smart card mode) can handle macOS logins and sudo with a PIN, but doesn’t integrate with Apple Pay/biometric flows and is not the same UX.
  • Several want Face ID for Mac (like Windows Hello), but speculate about hardware constraints; no consensus on why Apple hasn’t shipped it.

Touch ID vs Face ID (tangent from phones)

  • Strong split: some see Face ID as slower, worse in bed, and problematic with masks/glasses; others value its immunity to wet fingers/gloves and say it finally makes Apple Pay “effortless.”
  • Many wish iPhones had both Face ID and Touch ID (e.g., in the power button).