Apple wants to bring Touch ID to the Apple Watch. Leaked internal code indicates the company is exploring bringing biometric authentication to its smartwatch.

The idea is likely still in internal evaluation, with no clarity on if or when Apple will move forward with it.

Touch ID on Apple Watch?

Leaked Apple code recently revealed plans for its upcoming devices. The company will update the Apple TV 4K, iPad mini and iPad with faster chips for Apple Intelligence support. It also plans to use its in-house wireless chips on the iPhone 17 Air and M5 MacBook Air.

The same internal code leak points to Apple experimenting with adding Touch ID support to the 2026 Apple Watch. As seen by Macworld, it mentions support for “AppleMesa,” the internal codename for Touch ID.

It’s difficult to ascertain from the code how Apple will integrate biometric authentication into its 2026 smartwatch. It can possibly embed the sensor into the side button. However, given the space constraints, the company will have to slim down the sensor significantly.

So, just because Apple’s internal code mentions Touch ID, it doesn’t mean the feature will make its way to the 2026 Apple Watch. There are possibly a lot of hurdles that Apple will first need to overcome to bring Touch ID to its smartwatch.

A rumor from back in 2020 also claimed that the Apple Watch might get Touch ID for easier unlocking. It suggested the company was looking to integrate the sensor directly under the display, as seen on Android phones.

Apple currently only uses Touch ID on MacBooks, iPad and iPad Air. It has shifted entirely to Face ID on its iPhone and iPad Pro lineup.

2026 could be a big year for Apple Watch

The same internal code hints at the 2026 Apple Watch using a new T8320 CPU architecture. For reference, the current Apple Watch Series 10 and Series 9 use chips built on the T8310 architecture.

The new CPU architecture should lead to a noticeable jump in performance and efficiency.