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How can I allow an app to make changes without typing in the password, but using TouchID on the Touch Bar instead?

MacBook Pro, 13", 2016, macOS Sierra 10.12.6

Example:Example prompt

Prokop Hanzl
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2 Answers2

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This is not one of the supported features of Touch ID on macOS - at least not yet.

With Touch ID on your MBP, you can:

  • unlock your Mac
  • make purchases using your Apple ID (i.e. from the App Store and iTunes)
  • use Apple Pay

Undoubtedly as time goes by, more functionality will be added to Touch ID on macOS - but the ability to use it to allow apps to make changes to macOS isn't available yet.

Monomeeth
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    hmm.. 1password has been able to do this for a long time... https://9to5mac.com/2016/10/28/1password-touch-id-touch-bar-macbook-pro-preview/ – ptim Dec 02 '17 at 09:30
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Not exactly the situation you asked, but this blog shows how to enable Touch ID to authorize sudo terminal commands. I've been trying to find the version of this command that enables the same thing for Application changes, but no luck so far.

https://sixcolors.com/post/2020/11/quick-tip-enable-touch-id-for-sudo/

From Dan Moren's blog above-

  1. First, open up Terminal. Navigate to the directory where the system stores the list of PAMs by typing cd /etc/pam.d/ and open the sudo file there in your favorite command-line text editor.

  2. Once you’ve opened it, add the following below the first line (you’ll see the headers under which each of the entries goes):

    auth sufficient pam_tid.so

    That line basically tells the sudo command that the Touch ID authentication module is sufficient to authorize the user, which is all you need to do.

Sam Howle
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