Apple Defeats Patent Lawsuit in Texas Related to Face ID and Touch ID - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Defeats Patent Lawsuit in Texas Related to Face ID and Touch ID

A jury for the U.S. District Court for Western Texas on Friday found that the Secure Enclave built into modern Apple devices does not infringe four user verification patents owned by the company "Identity Security LLC," according to Bloomberg Law.

Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID
Apple introduced the Secure Enclave in 2013 in the iPhone 5s, the first iPhone with Touch ID, and it is now used in all iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and HomePod models. Apple says the Secure Enclave is a secure subsystem within its chips that is designed to keep sensitive user data secure, including Touch ID and Face ID data.

Identity Security LLC had sued Apple for patent infringement in 2021. It is not immediately clear if the company plans to appeal the jury's verdict.

Popular Stories

Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent 1

Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Missing These 5 Key Features Despite $2,000 Price Tag

Friday April 24, 2026 10:41 am PDT by
Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," could be missing at least five key features present on the iPhone 18 Pro models despite its $2,000 price point. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Recent images of dummy models shared by Sonny Dickson and Vadim Yuryev seem to reveal two previously undiscussed missing features of the iPhone Ultra: MagSafe and...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...

Top Rated Comments

easy4lif Avatar
21 months ago
Never feed the Patent trolls! Only more will show up!
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
avatar77 Avatar
21 months ago
How has big tech not pushed harder for serious patent reform? When our forefathers were patenting little machines, fine, because they more or less had to build it to get the patent. But now companies can just patent vague tech they have no capacity or intent to build. It has to stop.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
21 months ago
West Texas is patent troll home ground.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
21 months ago
On one hand, it seems like the patents that they’re talking about in the lawsuit are exactly what the Secure Enclave is. So maybe they had a case.

But on the other hand, when I look up the company, I see no information on them except the patents they filed. No website, no products, no services, no anything. The only reference I can even find to them on LinkedIn is the law firm they’re being represented by, Cabello Hall Zinda.

So definitely a patent troll.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
21 months ago
I like how this so called company without any online presence, wanted to claim everything Apple sold was infringing on their four odd patients.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
21 months ago
Great now win the blood oxygen sensor one so I can use the main feature I wanted my watch for :(
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)