Apple opens up Touch ID to third-party app developers with iOS 8

Posted:
in iPhone edited June 2014
Apple on Monday announced third-party developers will be able to access Touch ID in iOS 8, the company's fingerprint security hardware and software solution that has been limited to first-party apps since its launch last year.



Introduced by SVP Craig Federighi at WWDC, the new access offers app makers a new way to interact with Apple's advanced security hardware. Previously, Touch ID was limited to unlocking an iPhone 5s and making purchases through iTunes and the App Store.

With the newly granted access, apps like 1Password or other titles containing highly sensitive data can call on Touch ID's assets to grant users access without having to remember lengthy passwords. Designed to be tougher to crack than text-based pass codes, Touch ID is now being fully realized to make iOS a safe platform for users.

Keeping things secure, Touch ID never exposes fingerprint data to third parties, keeping it stored safely in the A7's secure enclave. Apple accomplishes this by relying on keychain assets, never directly pinging the locked-down information.

Currently, Touch ID is only available on the iPhone 5s, though Apple is widely expected to expand the capability to all iOS devices through the year.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35

    Time for everyone here to complain about everything and how they didn't do what you think they should have done.

  • Reply 2 of 35
    theothergeofftheothergeoff Posts: 2,081member

    This topic (touchID kit) is exactly what they should have done.

     

    And it portends that every device will eventually have touchID (even the 'consumer' phones/pads).   As soon as Ebay or Facebook or Starbucks build it it,  everyone will need it.

  • Reply 3 of 35
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member

    I bought a base 16 GB iPad Air because I knew I wanted to have Touch ID (love it on my 5S) and 802.11ac. 

     

    Looks like i'll be selling it and getting a minimum 64GB Air this year with Touch ID. 

     

    As soon as I feel comfortable about seeing more areas where I can use Touch ID I'm going to take 

    my current password and make it ridiculously long and difficult. 

  • Reply 4 of 35
    proappleproapple Posts: 23member
    This is awesome. No need for Apple to do the work. Let the outside developers build the payment apps and anything that requires high security.
  • Reply 5 of 35
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member

    I hope the new Macs will have Touch ID too.

    Oh, wait a minute. Touch ID currently resides in the A7 processor, could this be another piece of the puzzle that new MacBooks will rock an A8?

  • Reply 6 of 35
    brlawyerbrlawyer Posts: 828member

    Let's just hope Google is NOT one of those "authorized" third-party developers.

  • Reply 7 of 35
    constable odoconstable odo Posts: 1,041member

    I think it's going to be very difficult for any other company to match what Apple is offering in terms of integration across platforms.  Only Apple does the hardware and software and is able to keep fragmentation out of the equation except for older devices.  I'm going to upgrade to Yosemite within a week of release after get user feedback and I find out if there are no major problems I'm good to go.  I really like it.  I don't concern myself with eye-candy and stuff.  I just want a bulletproof OS.  Mavericks has been that way for me, so I'm pretty sure I'll quickly make the transition to another FREE OS upgrade.

     

    I really don't get why investors didn't like what they saw.  I'm heavily into tech and what Apple is offering all around really looks good and should be very simple for average users to have smartphones, tablets, notebooks and desktops tightly integrated.  I'm not sure what I'm missing that Wall Street would give a thumbs down on the WWDC event.  That guy Craig Federighi did a great job with the presentation as far as I could tell.  I think Tim Cook is a terrible speaker and listening to him talk is annoying.  He just needs to run the company and stay off stage.

  • Reply 8 of 35
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member

    The TouchID is my favorite feature on my iPhone 5S -- by far.  Can't wait to see TouchID in the next iPads.  :)

  • Reply 9 of 35
    terun78terun78 Posts: 36member
    LOL I was just thinking the same thing
  • Reply 10 of 35
    theothergeofftheothergeoff Posts: 2,081member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ProApple View Post



    This is awesome. No need for Apple to do the work. Let the outside developers build the payment apps and anything that requires high security.

    my issue with that is its the 'identity' that is the basis of the risk.  Why should Apple not build a payment app, given that if there is a breach, the payment apps will blame apple (until they can't... but deep pockets make for an inviting target).

     

    I would posit that the TouchID kit will become the necessitated convenience of having 2 factor authentication for apps that really require it (banking, stocks, healthcare, heck... Facebook, ebay, etc etc etc), and Apple staking a HW based lead with TouchID on it's entire iOS suite (compared to the 100's of potentially different biometric interfaces on Android, Win8 et al), making it a 'feature' of a person buying a phone just to do Facebook (for example), saying that you can have a secure session by just pressing your finger.  

     

    Apple is selling security as convenience, which is at is should be.

  • Reply 11 of 35
    theothergeofftheothergeoff Posts: 2,081member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Constable Odo View Post

     

    I really don't get why investors didn't like what they saw.  I'm heavily into tech and what Apple is offering all around really looks good and should be very simple for average users to have smartphones, tablets, notebooks and desktops tightly integrated.  I'm not sure what I'm missing that Wall Street would give a thumbs down on the WWDC event.  That guy Craig Federighi did a great job with the presentation as far as I could tell.  I think Tim Cook is a terrible speaker and listening to him talk is annoying.  He just needs to run the company and stay off stage.


    1) nothing on Beats in the keynote

    2) Wall Street buys on the rumor, sells on the news.   we've had 6 weeks of rumors.  Today was news.

    3) Tim Cook does a lot less than Steve Jobs did.  That said, he's no Steve Jobs, but compared to any other CEO, he's a lot better to listen to.

  • Reply 12 of 35
    justp1ayinjustp1ayin Posts: 213member
    Apple was down 1.6% before the keynote and .6% after it. Let investors be investors, there's no way to figure them out
  • Reply 13 of 35
    @ Constable odo [I]"I really don't get why investors didn't like what they saw. I'm heavily into tech and what Apple is offering all around really looks good and should be very simple for average users to have smartphones, tablets, notebooks and desktops tightly integrated. I'm not sure what I'm missing that Wall Street would give a thumbs down on the WWDC event. %u201C[/I]


    Apple is building a wider and deeper moat between themselves and Android and Windows with things like iTouch, 64 bit Processor, Metal (which will make iPads and iPhones the ultimate mobile gaming machines) , Swift, Healthkit, Homekit, iOs in the Car and the closer integration between X and iOS etc. etc.

    What is really interesting is Apple is turning itself into an open “closed" system, by which I mean Healthkit, Homekit and iTouch security etc. are platforms which allows third party hardware makers and Apps developers to link into the Apple ecosystem. Google has gone in the opposite direction spending $ billions buying one Thermostat maker, whereas hundreds of hardware makers of "internet of things” can all link into Apple’s ecosystem and their 800 million iOS devices.

    WS will eventually realise that Apple are generations ahead of the competition
  • Reply 14 of 35
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by justp1ayin View Post



    Apple was down 1.6% before the keynote and .6% after it. Let investors be investors, there's no way to figure them out

     

    Well I bought some more Apple in the dip. I was very very impressed by the number of innovative things with which Apple is building a wider and deeper moat between themselves and the compeition - they have been left floundering, falling even further behind Apple

  • Reply 15 of 35
    justp1ayinjustp1ayin Posts: 213member
    Welcome to ownership. I sold like an idiot when It was about 100 some years back, and bought again at 350.
  • Reply 16 of 35
    ralphmouthralphmouth Posts: 192member

    Would it be possible for hackers to create a malicious application that spoofs TouchID and causes 1Password (or other managers) to reveal your user name and password to them?

  • Reply 17 of 35
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Originally Posted by RalphMouth View Post

    Would it be possible for hackers to create a malicious application that spoofs TouchID and causes 1Password (or other managers) to reveal your user name and password to them?

     

    Let’s try to run through this scenario.

     

    So you have your OS, your real apps, and this malicious app. Now, the malicious app would offer up (we’ll get back to this) an extension, spoofing TouchID. It couldn’t gain any TouchID information, because that never leaves the OS. But I suppose it could take login information if that was provided as a separate option.

     

    Now, to the before. Offering up. The keynote didn’t show any instance of a third-party app receiving an extension from another third party app. ONLY Apple apps receiving extensions from third-party apps.

     

    Is it even possible for a third party to edit another third party?

  • Reply 18 of 35
    paul94544paul94544 Posts: 1,027member
    Yes my thinking too. The most annoying thing with computers and mobile devices is trying to remember 50 plus userids and passwords. Facebook, twitter, yahoo , gmail, several banks accounts on and on and on it goes , trading accounts, All I want to do is one unified way to access them just use my fingerprint for eqach one. That alone would make my life 1000% easier as long as its secure enough , but it couldn't be less secure than what is currently being done.
  • Reply 19 of 35
    wovelwovel Posts: 956member
    <span style="line-height:1.4em;">Would it be possible for hackers to create a malicious application that spoofs TouchID and causes 1Password (or other managers) to reveal your user name and password to them?</span>

    Let’s try to run through this scenario.

    So you have your OS, your real apps, and this malicious app. Now, the malicious app would offer up (we’ll get back to this) an extension, spoofing TouchID. It couldn’t gain any TouchID information, because that never leaves the OS. But I suppose it could take login information if that was provided as a separate option.

    Now, to the before. Offering up. The keynote didn’t show any instance of a third-party app receiving an extension from another third party app. ONLY Apple apps receiving extensions from third-party apps.

    Is it even possible for a third party to edit another third party?

    He didn't show an example, but I think his moving diagram was two third party apps sharing information. (I need to watch again to be sure).
  • Reply 20 of 35
    benjamin frostbenjamin frost Posts: 7,203member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Secular Investor View Post



    @ Constable odo "I really don't get why investors didn't like what they saw. I'm heavily into tech and what Apple is offering all around really looks good and should be very simple for average users to have smartphones, tablets, notebooks and desktops tightly integrated. I'm not sure what I'm missing that Wall Street would give a thumbs down on the WWDC event. %u201C





    Apple is building a wider and deeper moat between themselves and Android and Windows with things like iTouch, 64 bit Processor, Metal (which will make iPads and iPhones the ultimate mobile gaming machines) , Swift, Healthkit, Homekit, iOs in the Car and the closer integration between X and iOS etc. etc.



    What is really interesting is Apple is turning itself into an open “closed" system, by which I mean Healthkit, Homekit and iTouch security etc. are platforms which allows third party hardware makers and Apps developers to link into the Apple ecosystem. Google has gone in the opposite direction spending $ billions buying one Thermostat maker, whereas hundreds of hardware makers of "internet of things” can all link into Apple’s ecosystem and their 800 million iOS devices.



    WS will eventually realise that Apple are generations ahead of the competition

    That's perceptive. Perhaps Apple are taking their cue from the huge success of the third parties on the App Store and building on that.

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