Why Won’t Apple Sell a Standalone Touch ID Sensor?

As much as I appreciate Apple’s attention to design and security, there’s one glaring hole in their product lineup that drives me nuts: the lack of a standalone Touch ID sensor.

If you want to use Touch ID on a Mac, Apple locks you into buying their own Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. And while the keyboard is fine, it doesn’t hold a candle to third-party options when it comes to customization, comfort, or flair. Personally, I love my Razer keyboards—the lighting effects, the mechanical switches, and the overall build quality are exactly what I want at my desk. But here’s the problem: the second I want the convenience of Touch ID for logging into my Mac or approving Apple Pay transactions, I have to ditch the keyboard I actually want to use and settle for Apple’s.

It makes no sense. Apple already sells the Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse as standalone accessories. Why not a simple Touch ID puck or USB device? It could sit next to my Razer keyboard, giving me the best of both worlds—an amazing typing experience with RGB lighting plus the seamless biometric convenience that makes macOS such a pleasure to use.

Instead, I’m stuck choosing between my preferred keyboard and the convenience of Touch ID. And frankly, that’s a choice I shouldn’t have to make in 2025. Apple knows people love third-party keyboards. They know Touch ID makes everything faster and more secure. Yet for some reason, they keep this feature locked behind their own accessories.

I can’t help but wonder: is it just about money? Forcing people into Apple keyboards certainly sells more hardware. But wouldn’t they make plenty selling a $129 standalone Touch ID accessory? If Apple really cared about user choice, they’d give us the option.

Until then, I guess I’ll keep grumbling every time I type on my gorgeous Razer keyboard—wishing I could tap a little Touch ID sensor next to it instead of punching in my password like it’s 2005.