Can You Pair the NEW Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to a MacBook Pro or Air and Mac Mini?
I finally got the redesigned 24-inch 2021 iMac. For this first video, I wanted to focus on the keyboard: the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. How does it work with the iMac, and can I pair it with another Mac? This video is not sponsored (the description link may earn a small commission).
What’s new
- Rounded corner keys for Escape, the Touch ID key, the Right Arrow key and the Function key at the bottom left.
- The new keys from recent MacBooks: Search, Dictation and Do Not Disturb. The Do Not Disturb key is fantastic: my MacBook Pro stays in Do Not Disturb almost all the time, because I don’t like the Finder notifications every time I connect and disconnect drives.
- At the top right, the new Touch ID key: both a button and a fingerprint sensor.
Setting up Touch ID on the iMac
During iMac setup, you get a Touch ID configuration screen like on a MacBook or iPhone. It asks you to raise and lower your finger multiple times to find the center of your fingerprint, then to register the edges so that however you touch it, it unlocks. You can add or change fingerprints later in the Touch ID settings.
Locking and unlocking
To lock the Mac, press down on the Touch ID key (it’s a physical key; resting a finger won’t lock it, and you can press anywhere on the key). To unlock, rest any registered finger on the sensor. It authenticates anything Touch ID normally works with on a Mac or iPhone, like App Store purchases and Apple Pay.
Pairing with another Mac
Apple said the keyboard can pair with other Macs, but they must have an M1 chip. On my MacBook Pro, I paired it in Bluetooth settings like any keyboard. In Touch ID settings, I added a new fingerprint: it took a while for the MacBook to recognize Touch ID on the external keyboard, so I kept lifting and lowering my finger until it popped up. Then it asks you to press the physical power/Touch ID button twice on the MacBook Pro, a kind of hardware handshake. After that, I could register my second fingerprint.
Fingerprints are stored in the Mac’s Secure Enclave, so even though I registered the second one on the external keyboard, my first index finger (set up on the MacBook’s built-in Touch ID) also works.
That’s the new Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. I can take or leave the color (silver works for me), but Touch ID on an external keyboard is really nice, whether for the Mac now or, someday, a standalone keyboard for a MacBook Pro or a Mac mini without Touch ID. What do you think of it?
Links
- Buy a 24” iMac
- Buy a 27” iMac
- UNLIMITED Cloud Backup for your Mac with Backblaze
- Buy the 2020 iMac
- Bamboo Monitor Stand
- CalDigit SOHO
- CalDigit TS3
- Samsung X5 Thunderbolt SSD
- OWC 32 GB Kit (2x16GB) for 2019-2020 iMac
- MX Master 3 Mouse
- Satechi Magnetic Charger 2-in-1
- BenQ ScreenBar
- Kanto Yu2 Speakers Matte Gray
- Apple Magic keyboard
- Apple Magic Trackpad
- MX Master 3 Mouse
- Desk Mat Moko PU Leather
- MacBook Pro M1
- Samsung UR55 28” display
- MountUP Monitor Arm
- If this was helpful I have a tip jar
- Sony A6400
- Primary Lens Sigma f1.4 16mm
- Secondary Lens Sony f2.8 16-55MM G
- Sennheiser MKH-416 mic
- Zoom F6 recorder
- Rode VideoMic NTG
- iPad Pro 12.9
- Used DJI OSMO 3 Gimbal for some shots
- Tascam DR-10L Audio Recorder with Lav
In this video
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.
