Why doesn't Apple make a standalone Touch ID?
40 comments
·December 3, 2025ChrisMarshallNY
I actually have a small Magic Keyboard under my desk (in the keyboard tray). It’s positioned, so that I can reach under, without looking, and touch the Touch ID.
I don’t like the rest of the keyboard. I have a big Keychron on top of the desk, that I use for typing.
aetherspawn
I buy and use the stupid keyboard just for this inconvenience.
Although to be honest not the worst keyboard I own, but not the best, I probably rate it like a 7/10.
It would be a 5/10 if the Bluetooth wasn’t so magically seamless.
The low profile means I can get by without a wrist pillow.
commandersaki
I had a mechanical keyboard before getting the touch id one, and I have to say the touch id one feels much better to type on anyway.
nunez
To be fair, your Apple Watch becomes a secure authenticator for your Mac when paired, so Apple probably prefers that you just buy an Apple Watch.
geerlingguy
I tried living with just the Apple Watch instead of the Touch ID for a few months to see how reliable it was...
Sometimes it would take a few minutes in the morning before my Mac would even recognize 'hey, there's a watch' (typing in my full password was usually much quicker than waiting for the watch unlock).
Sometimes whatever notification happens that triggers the watch to vibrate and allow the double-squeeze-to-accept action would just... not.
Other times the above notification would pop up about 8-15 seconds after the prompt on the screen.
It was inconsistent enough I got _really_ good at typing my password, since it was normally quicker than waiting on the Apple Watch.
Contrast that with the Touch ID, that's always ready to go.
commandersaki
Can the watch authenticate it is who you really are? Asking because I do not know anything about the watches.
plorkyeran
TouchID does more than just unlock the computer. It's usable any time you'd otherwise be prompted for your password.
graeme
You can use apple watch for password managers and all macos passwords prompts. Does require an apple silicon mac iirc.
The main downside is it doesn't always recognize and it takes a few seconds to trigger. I'd love a separate touch id. But absent that the watch is quite useful.
sen
I’ve been griping over this for years now. I get pretty bad RSI so like using a split mechanical keyboard for coding, but I also use long/complex passwords so I like using Touch ID too. It dumbfounds me that you can’t get a Touch ID pad or even a numpad with Touch ID to sit next to aftermarket keyboards.
dbg31415
So this setup is for people who use a Mac, but not a Mac laptop (or who keep the laptop closed and use it exclusively with an external monitor), and who also don't want to buy Apple's keyboard with Touch ID, or an Apple Watch. I gotta say, I don't think that's a huge group of people.
QuercusMax
It's very annoying when I'm using my personal mac mini and have to type my password a billion times, compared to my work macbook which lets me touch id.
But is it annoying enough I'd actually buy one of these hypothetical $50 boxes? IDK.... I've got my two machines on a KVM so I can use my Kinesis keyboard with both of them.
andsoitis
How big do you think the market for that would be?
crazygringo
A big proportion of everyone who uses a non-Apple keyboard with their Mac, I'd say. I would absolutely use one with my ergonomic keyboard, TouchID is so much more convenient than constantly typing your password in.
andsoitis
> A big proportion of everyone who uses a non-Apple keyboard with their Mac, I'd say.
If you were to guess how many sales (e.g. in units) they'd make every year, what would you guess?
dwood_dev
Hundreds, maybe even thousands.
I jest, but probably the $150 sales of the TouchID keyboard would tank as they are displaced by such a device.
nkrisc
So you’re already starting with a pretty slim market.
re-thc
Which is small considering the Mac market itself is small relative to the PC market.
Brajeshwar
From the way the Polishing Cloth, and recently, the iPhone Pocket gets sold out; this will get easily sold.
heddelt
>iPhone Pocket
That has got to be a joke. It's like they're mocking their customers. I can't stop laughing at the sight of the guy they somehow convinced to model this thing in their promotional photo.
crazygringo
It's a trendy fashion item for a particular subset of rich fashion people, which is not most people. It makes total sense in that context. It doesn't really need to make sense to everybody else.
null
mcphage
Bigger than the market for $200 phone pockets.
Simulacra
I really miss touch ID on my phone, all of the swiping is a little cumbersome and sore after a while. Stretching my hand to swipe up down and so forth. I deeply miss the home button.
Waterluvian
Why would you unbundle your bundle and sell the TV channels one by one?
crazygringo
Because if someone is going to all the trouble of getting a non-Apple keyboard, TouchID isn't going to convince them to go back to an Apple keyboard. They're using a different keyboard because things like key travel or ergonomics are a necessity.
Apple could sell a standalone TouchID sensor and charge $50 or $60 for it.
sleepybrett
I used to have terrible rsi and switched to a kinesis advantage, if I could get a little touchid pad that i could attach with doublesided tape to it, it would be awesome. As it stands I just type my password a lot.
petesergeant
I stick an Apple Keboard to the underside of my desk
I did this recently, though on a much lower budget. You don’t need to buy a new $150 magic keyboard or a 3d printer.
1. Buy an old A2449 keyboard, ideally one with broken keys or battery but working touch ID. I got mine for $45 shipped. Recent listing example: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=magic+keyboard+a2449&_s...
2. Pry it apart as described in the article (really, there is so much glue) and then use some spare Legos to make an enclosure like this person: https://grepjason.sh/2022/standalone-touch-id-part-2
I integrated mine into a Lego space diorama set for better vibes: https://imgur.com/a/Im7t9Xb