14 DAY TRIAL // Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller has confirmed to All Things D that Touch ID will not be available to third-party apps. At least not for now.
Schiller tells the WSJ-owned tech blog that “developers won’t get access to use a fingerprint as a means of authentication,” according to the report.
The SVP also refused to comment on whether Apple would show more flexibility in the future.
Though it’s pretty clear that Apple doesn’t have such intentions. That is, if it wants to keep its promise that fingerprints get tucked away in the A7, fully encrypted and never to emerge in plain sight.
Apple currently allows two main functions to be enabled with the Touch ID sensor: unlocking a device, and buying apps on iTunes. While the functionality will most likely be extended in the future, the sensor will probably remain usable only with Apple software.