You've heard of Touch ID and Face ID, but is it the next Ear ID? Researchers have detailed that a new technology would allow you to use AirPods or similar headphones to prove who you are and unlock your devices, and it is actually your heart rate that they detect.

Chinese researchers have developed ‘AccLock’
This uses your heartbeat to verify your identity.
All you need are headphones with accelerometers.

Researchers from several universities in China have developed a technology they called AccLock, and it is basically Ear ID. It’s a way to verify your identity using your heartbeat, detected by your headphones, even if your headphones don’t have the kind of built-in heart rate sensors you have on the AirPods Pro 3.

The idea is that your headphones can recognize your unique heartbeats, verify that it’s you, and unlock access to things like your PC or phone, or maybe even a smart door lock.

According to the article, the earbuds were chosen because they “remain closely coupled to the user during daily use,” so if you’re the type of person who constantly uses your AirPods when you’re out and about, you inspired this choice.

open heart

A diagram of a person with headphones approaching a door. Your heart is highlighted as connected to the headphones, and a sign on the door indicates that your heart rate matches, allowing them

A diagram provided by researchers involving a high-tech door. (Image credit: arxiv.org)

Instead of a dedicated heart rate sensor, the tool simply uses a motion-detecting accelerometer, the type that many headphones already include.

An accelerometer is used to measure things like acceleration, vibration, and orientation. On headphones, they can be used for different tools: gesture controls, head tracking, or spatial audio, depending on the button.

Some lower-end headphones may not have them, but in general it is a common component. And so, in theory, AccLock could work on many headphones, using the accelerometer to recognize heartbeats.

Again, this is all hypothetical, but sometimes these studies can reflect what companies are really considering. For example, new research we reported on AirPods with cameras coincides with some reports suggesting Apple is considering adding this technology to future AirPods.