Apple Open Up TouchID To All Apps

Apple have announced they are opening up their TouchID fingerprint scanner to all iOS apps.

At WWDC 2014, they said the TouchID API will soon become available to all app developers, so they can authenticate login information with the touch of a finger.

The feature was launched last September with the iPhone 5s and 5c, and was originally only used to authenticate a user’s Apple ID for App Store purchases, or to unlock their phone.

Senior VP of software, Craig Federighi, said that 83% of those who have Touch ID use it.

Apple announced the move at their developer conference in San Francisco yesterday, where they revealed iOS 8 and new Mac operating system OS X Yosemite.

One could certainly imagine dating apps using TouchID for logins – removing the need for a username and password – and for providing quick security for more private apps.

It is also a move towards using the feature for payments in different apps, an area which Apple CEO Tim Cook said was “one of the thinkings behind” the fingerprint technology, especially considering the tech giant have an estimated 800m credit cards on file.

At WWDC, Apple also announced a Snapchat-style self-deleting audio and video feature for iMessage, along with health and home kits for fitness apps and home-based devices.