iPhone users demand the return of Touch ID: Will Apple bring it back?

Apple iPhone
(Image credit: Apple)

Although most iPhone users enjoy Face ID for its simplicity and ease of use, many would like the backup option of Touch ID to return to the next iteration of iPhones. 

In a recent survey conducted by SellCell, nearly 80% of respondents hope for the return of Apple's widely popular Touch ID. One of the reasons mentioned by SellCell is the recent Covid-19 pandemic and the need for facemasks, which hinders Face ID from properly identifying users with masks on. 

As many as 74% of Face ID users on iPhones have complained about their phones not being able to recognize them while they adhere to pandemic safety rules regarding the need to wear facemasks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Apple could bring the featuring back using an under-display sensor similar to the one several current Android devices employ. Apple, however, did address the issue in the iOS 13.5 update which switches to passcode mode directly when the Face ID recognizes the user is wearing a mask.

The update also lets the user skip Face ID and go to passcode mode just by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Also, iPhone users can set up what Apple refers to as an "alternate appearance" and the user can take a new face ID scan with a mask on to remedy the issue.  

Although there have been rumors of Apple's next iPhone having a beneath the display sensor which would use Touch ID technology, those rumors have not been verified to the point where it's expected to be available in the upcoming iPhone 13. 

Mark Anthony Ramirez

Mark has spent 20 years headlining comedy shows around the country and made appearances on ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, Food Network, and Sirius XM Radio. He has written about every topic imaginable, from dating, family, politics, social issues, and tech. He wrote his first tech articles for the now-defunct Dads On Tech 10 years ago, and his passion for combining humor and tech has grown under the tutelage of the Laptop Mag team. His penchant for tearing things down and rebuilding them did not make Mark popular at home, however, when he got his hands on the legendary Commodore 64, his passion for all things tech deepened. These days, when he is not filming, editing footage, tinkering with cameras and laptops, or on stage, he can be found at his desk snacking, writing about everything tech, new jokes, or scripts he dreams of filming.