Apple’s next Macbook could be unlocked with your FACE, patent reveals


Apple’s next Macbook could be unlocked with your FACE using a biometric authentication system located at the top of the screen

  • Apple has published a new patent that could add FaceID to its Macs
  • It describes housing the technology at the top of a Macbook or Mac monitor
  • There would be sensors inside that emit light and scan the reflection 
  • This would allow users to unlock their device with just their face 

Apple could make it easier to unlock your Mac. 

A new patent describes adding facial recognition to the device that uses sensors capable of emitting light at the user and detecting how the patter of light reflects back in order to identify the user.

Images in the document show a ‘notch’ at the top of the screen, which is similar to that on an iPhone that houses the facial recognition technology.

The biometric system could make its way to both the Macbook and a standalone Mac monitor.

A new patent describes adding facial recognition to the device that uses sensors capable of emitting light at the user and detecting how the patter of light reflects back in order to identify the user

Apple first added its iconic notch to iPhones in 2017 when it launched the iPhone X, but was met with criticism from sources saying the firm was ‘bad at design.’

There were also reports stating that the firm could ditch the notch to make way for a full-screen design in 2019.

However, it is still being used in the smartphones and has been adopted by Androids as well.

The patent, first spotted by Apple Insider, is entitled ‘Light Recognition Module for Determining a User of a Computing device’ and was filed in September 2019 and published March 26, 2020.

Images in the document show a 'notch' at the top of the screen, which is similar to that on an iPhone that houses the facial recognition technology. The biometric system could make its way to both the Macbook and a standalone Mac monitor

Images in the document show a ‘notch’ at the top of the screen, which is similar to that on an iPhone that houses the facial recognition technology. The biometric system could make its way to both the Macbook and a standalone Mac monitor

describes adding a second layer of security to the computers, as many people use them for complex work.

‘By performing these complex functions, sensitive data associated with these users may be gathered and/or stored by these computing devices,’ reads the patent.

‘To prevent unauthorized users from accessing this sensitive data, these computing devices may incorporate systems and mechanisms for authenticating users.’ 

Apple also notes that because there is limited space inside of the devices, it only make sense to add the Face ID as a notch ‘cut onto a portion of the display.’

The facial recognition would be housed in a partition, which could be ‘disposed adjacent to the display layer,’ or above it.

‘In some examples, the partition is a notch, a circle, an ellipse, a polygonal shape, a series of polygonal shapes, a curvilinear shape, or the like.’

Images in the documents show both a Macbook with the notch and a standalone Mac monitor, suggesting both devices could soon be unlocked with the user’s face.