Report: Touch ID Will Not Return on iPhone 16

Apple's iPhone 16 lineup will not see the return of Touch ID fingerprint authentication technology, a new report claims.

Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor Under Display Feature 2
The information comes from an integrated circuit expert on Weibo with a track record for sharing information about Apple's plans. In a new post, they explained that most of the equipment originally used to manufacture the chips required for the iPhone's version of ‌Touch ID‌ has apparently now been permanently shut down, with the only remaining units used for the third-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE, suggesting that Apple has no plans to resurrect ‌Touch ID‌ as a method to authenticate on the ‌iPhone‌ in the immediate future. It is also worth pointing out that there are no noteworthy rumors about the return of Apple's fingerprint scanning technology for the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup that are still dependable.

Reports suggest that the fourth-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE will feature Face ID, replacing the last ‌iPhone‌ model that still features ‌Touch ID‌. Even so, rumors persist that Apple is working on under-display fingerprint technology that could debut around 2026 – the same time frame that the company is ostensibly planning to move Face ID under the display of the device.

The Weibo source was first to report that the ‌iPhone‌ 14 would retain the A15 Bionic chip, with the A16 being exclusive to the ‌‌iPhone‌ 14‌ Pro models. They recently said that the chip designed for the upcoming ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌‌iPhone 16‌‌ Plus will be made using a distinct manufacturing process, differing fundamentally from the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro, to reduce production costs.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

phill85 Avatar
19 months ago
…was anyone expecting it to?? ?
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SirAnthonyHopkins Avatar
19 months ago
Report: Intel chips will not return to 2024 MacBooks
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oldmacs Avatar
19 months ago

Good. Never worked right. Still not working on M2 Air. Human hands, too many variables for consistency versus security.
It doesn't work for you, but always worked fantastically for me and continues to on my personal and work Macs and my iPad.

I don't get why people are so against touch ID coming back ALONGSIDE FaceID - would give everyone the ability to use the tech they want.

I miss Touch ID even 2.5 years into owning a TouchID iPhone.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wonderings Avatar
19 months ago
There are plenty of time I would like touch ID. If I am in a meeting or somewhere I don't want to hold my phone up to properly scan my face Touch ID would be simple and easy. Sitting and looking down while holding a phone generally does not work for me. Not a feature I would lose sleep over with not being there, just think it is actually a handy thing and always nice to have options.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slyronit Avatar
19 months ago
Why would anyone with half a brain expect it to return?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazapple Avatar
19 months ago

Face ID "just works"
Unless you have your phone at the angle where Face ID "works" - no, it doesn't. I want to be able to unlock my iPhone from a distance, at any angle, like when I'm on laying on the couch or in bed and want to check something without having to position the phone in a way where Face ID can scan my face.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)