What is Optic ID? How does Optic ID work on Vision Pro headsets?

At WWDC 2023, Apple made some interesting announcements during its 2-hour keynote, one of which was the Vision Pro, the tech giant's first AR/VR headset. The device brings a lot of new features that we have never seen before!

Now, if you've been following the Vision Pro news, you've likely heard of Optic ID, but in case you haven't, here's everything you need to know about this new feature.

What is Optic ID?

With the lack of Face ID and Touch ID hardware on the Vision Pro, Apple needed a new system to authenticate users; This is where Optic ID comes into play.

Optic ID is a new authentication system that uses an infrared camera and illuminated LEDs inside the headset to analyze your iris for a unique mapping. This technology can even distinguish between identical twins.

And like other biometric authentication systems, Apple will let you use Optic ID for purchase authorization and autofill, in addition to unlocking the Vision Pro.

How does Optic ID work on Vision Pro?

 

In an Apple Newsroom post, the company claims Optic ID works by registering your iris recognition data into the Secure Enclave processor, then comparing that data with what the hardware sees each time you try to unlock the Vision Pro headset.

The initial registered images and subsequent images used to unlock the device are generated by analyzing your iris under various invisible LED exposures. Apple has the ability to apply the Neural Engine built into the Vision Pro's processing hardware to convert this data into a mathematical formula, much like how Face ID works.

Is Optic ID safe?

Like its other products, Apple claims that it built the features on the Vision Pro while keeping its principles in mind. Accordingly, Optic ID data is encrypted and stored locally in Secure Enclave. It never leaves the device - even to Apple's servers - and cannot access installed apps.

Will Apple bring Optic ID to more devices?

Apple's Vision Pro headset is an expensive piece of hardware, the sheer amount of research and development that went into its creation is enormous. It is not uncommon to see technology move from the standard products to the other offerings of a company.

Apple has a precedent for doing this before, through bringing Touch ID to Macs and Face ID to iPads, so it's possible we'll see Optic ID on more devices other than the Vision Pro in the future.