Apple revolutionized the iPhone experience with the iPhone X in 2017 with a new design and a new technology to unlock the phone – Face ID.
With this, Apple got rid of the Touch ID, the main button, and the bezels. Since biometric authentication is imperative in today’s world, the company introduced the infamous Face ID that scans the user’s face with 3D tech, unlike its Android counterparts.
Fast forward to 2021, Apple re-introduced the notch in its MacBook Pro models – 14-inch and 16-inch. Many believed that the machines would keep the Touch ID and Face ID like some Windows machines have. But to their dismay, the notch only housed the 1080p webcam due to the new design’s slim display bezels.
When the M2 MacBook Air was launched at the WWDC 2022 event, tech pundits hoped Apple would rectify its mistake and launch the Face ID tech on the machine that borrowed its design elements from the 2021 M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro.
So, does the M2 MacBook Air have Face ID? Let’s ascertain.
Does M2 MacBook Air have Face ID?
It turns out that Apple decided not to add Face ID to the M2 MacBook Air. The notch seems large enough to fit the sensor. For biometric authentication, the M2 MacBook Air has the good-old Touch ID that swiftly unlocks the machine.
As was with the 2017’s iPhone X, the notch is a very controversial part of MacBook and iPads and people have two cents to say on it – “It seems like a missed opportunity.”
Users and tech gurus complain that the notch cutout for the front camera and LED is too large for these techs and fitting the Face ID wouldn’t have been an issue.
If a theory is to be believed, Apple cannot shrink the necessary Face ID components enough to fit into the very narrow lid for a few more years. Maybe, the M4 or the M5 MacBooks could get the Face ID.
Apple Products that have Face ID
iPhones and iPad Pros are the only two product category that supports Apple’s Face ID tech which was originally introduced in 2017. Here’s a full list:
iPad
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch
iPhone
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
FAQs
Does M2 MacBook Air have Touch ID?
Yes, the M2 MacBook Air is equipped with Touch ID. It resembles the one launched with the 2021 M1 Pro/Max 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
How do I set up Face ID on MacBook Air M2?
No MacBook has the Face ID, not even the ones with the notch – 2021 M1 Pro/Max 14-inch & 16-inch, M2 MacBook Air, 2022 M2 Pro/Max 14-inch & 16-inch, and the newly launched 15-inch M2 MacBook Air.
Which Apple models have Face ID?
A total of 19 iPhones and 8 iPad Pro models have Face ID. No MacBook has the Face ID, even the ones with the notch.
