Touch ID in a separate box: Tinkers dismantle Apple keyboard
Anyone who wants to use a mechanical keyboard has to forgo Apple's Touch ID on the Mac. But the sensor can also be removed.
3D-printed Touch ID case: After a lot of work, it works well.
(Image: @Calvin_5743 / Printables)
While Apple's in-house keyboards are popular, they have various limitations in terms of construction and key travel. The problem: Anyone who wants to move away from the Magic Keyboard to, for example, type mechanically in the future loses access to a central comfort feature: the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Apple only offers this built into the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, as well as the aforementioned Magic Keyboard. It cannot be purchased separately, and so keyboard switchers will have to resort to entering their password again for login or authorizing certain macOS actions in the future. But there is a solution to the issue: Anyone willing to cannibalize a Magic Keyboard can also remove the Touch ID button via a hardware hack and put it in a case. While technically complex, it has recently been demonstrated by several YouTubers.
A lot of work and a lot of money
The well-known maker, NAS, and Raspberry Pi tinkerer Jeff Geerling showed the process in detail. However, it quickly becomes clear: This is not for beginners. Even those with clumsy fingers are likely to despair quickly: first at the glued underside of the Magic Keyboard, then at the countless (different) screws, and finally at the installation in one of the several 3D-printed Touch ID cases that are available, for example, at Printables. Because: The tolerances are very low, and you also have to deal with sensitive ribbon cables.
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If you trust yourself with the removal and installation (which involves removing the correct circuit board components), you can be quite pleased afterward: The button, connected via Lightning to USB-C (alternatively: USB-C to USB-C with newer keyboards), works as usual. However, neither financially nor in terms of workload is the action worth it: “So why doesn't Apple make a small Touch ID box? They could charge $50 for it, and I would pay it, albeit reluctantly,” says Geerling. He sacrificed a $150 keyboard and a few hours of time to get an “intelligent” key.
Alternative: Apple Watch to the rescue
At least Apple itself offers an alternative to the Touch ID problem: For several years now, it has also been possible to unlock the Mac using an Apple Watch. However, you must own the smartwatch first.
It is then paired with the Mac and serves as an unlocking instrument – also for password prompts for which only Touch ID could otherwise be used. The watch must be unlocked beforehand so that only the owner can use it.
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