Touch ID on Apple Watch — New Code Reveals Major Security Boost for Future Models

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Apple Watches could be much more secure in the future

watchOS The coolest things the Apple Watch can do
(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has several new devices in the works, and some are slated to be revealed next month at the company's big iPhone 17 launch event. However, Apple isn't just thinking about the next batch of devices — the firm also has future models in its vision.

According to a report from MacRumors, Apple is working to add Touch ID to future Apple Watch models. The publication found mention of the feature in some internal code. Based on what it saw, the feature could be included in the 2026 Apple Watch models, which are essentially right around the corner.

If Apple decides to add Touch ID, there are two likely ways it would implement it: a button on the side of the watch or a sensor embedded underneath the screen. The button seems probable, as Apple has a patent for Touch ID on the side button of a watch. That doesn't confirm that it'll be on the side — Apple has plenty of patents that it doesn't use — but it makes that installation method feel a bit more likely.

Touch ID on an iPad

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A recent rumor from DigiTimes suggests that Apple is planning a "major redesign" for Apple Watch, and adding a significant feature like Touch ID would certainly be a significant design change, even if it's not the most visually apparent switch.

Again, these are the 2026 devices that will receive the feature based on this code, so don't expect the Apple Watch Series 11 or Apple Watch Ultra 3 to have it. More likely devices are the Series 12 or Ultra 4, but there's no guarantee it happens even by the time those devices hit store shelves.

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Dave LeClair
Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

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