Does your Mac have Apple T2 security chip? Here’s how to find out!

Certain Mac models direct keep payoff of a second-generation Apple safety chip, called T2. Without it, you lot won’t relish advanced secure kick capabilities, hardware-accelerated flash storage encryption or other perks. Some Mac computers direct keep the Apple T2 safety chip land others practise not. In this brief step-by-step tutorial, iDownloadBlog volition exhibit you lot how to position Mac models amongst the Apple T2 chip.

Elevating your security

As mentioned, T2 is Apple’s custom, in-house designed silicon which ushers inward a novel era of safety past times integrating several discreet controllers constitute inward older Mac models.

“The features of Apple T2 are made possible past times the combination of silicon design, hardware, software in addition to services available 
only from Apple,” the companionship notes. “These capabilities combine to furnish unrivaled privacy 
 in addition to safety features never earlier introduce on Mac.”

Only 4 Mac notebooks in addition to desktops currently utilisation this chip.

Mac models amongst Apple T2 safety chip

The next Mac computers direct keep the Apple T2 safety chip:

• iMac Pro


• Mac mini models from 2018


• MacBook Air models from 2018


• MacBook Pro models from 2018

Follow along to larn how to manually verify whether your Mac has the Apple T2 silicon.

Identifying Mac models amongst Apple T2 chip

Use System Information to larn whether your Mac has the Apple T2 chip.

1) In the Finder, click the Apple carte du jour in addition to select About This Mac.

2) Click the General tab, thence click the push labeled System Report.

3) In the sidebar of the System Information window, select either Controller or iBridge depending on the version of macOS inward use.

If the righthand side column reads “Apple T2 chip,” your Mac figurer came amongst the Apple T2 safety chip. If you lot don’t come across this message, you lot direct keep an older Mac model without this chip.

If your Mac lacks this chip, you lot tin give the axe even thence practise everything similar earlier but you lot won’t move every bit secure.

For instance, FileVault volition utilisation software-based disk encryption which non alone taxes the CPU but is far less secure. Your spider web photographic boob tube camera volition piece of job similar before, but it won’t move secured, pregnant a rogue app mightiness secretly tape everything amongst the lid open.

And when exporting your 4K shot-on-iPhone videos encoded amongst the H.265 codec into Final Cut Pro or other pro apps, the transcoding procedure volition move on xl times faster than before.

About Apple T2 safety chip

The Apple T2 safety chip makes your figurer far to a greater extent than secure past times integrating a Secure Enclave coprocessor which provides the foundation for novel encrypted Apple File System (APFS) storage in addition to secure kick capabilities. Plus, the chip’s icon dot processor industrial plant amongst the FaceTime hard disk photographic boob tube camera to enable advanced imaging features.

Here’s everything T2 integrates:

• Always-on processor


• Audio controller


• HEVC video transcoder


• Image dot processor


• Secure Enclave cryptographic coprocessor


• SSD controller


• System administration controller

Read on for the exceptional breakdown.

Always-on processor

Because it integrates an always-on processor, T2 does “Hey Siri” without engaging the chief Intel chip: you lot tin give the axe brand requests to Siri amongst only your vox for things similar finding files or opening an app without having to summon her manually.

Audio controller

Mac models amongst the Apple T2 chip care for the internal speakers in addition to the headphone jack port every bit unique devices, carve upwards from i another. This lets you lot practise things similar post your Mac’s well effects to the built-in speakers land using your wired headphones for music in addition to other well thence you lot don’t expire jarred out of a skillful listening session past times an mistake message beep blaring over your music. And thank you lot to T2’s hardware disconnect, the Mac microphone is physically disabled every bit shortly the lid 
is closed, which is über cool.

HEVC video transcoder

The Apple T2 chip features a specialized video transcoder for the High Efficiency Video Coding codec, too known every bit H.265, bringing thirty times faster decoding thence you lot tin give the axe piece of job to a greater extent than speedily amongst higher resolution video throughout pro workflows.

Image dot processor

Like amongst iPhone, the icon dot processor industrial plant amongst the FaceTime photographic boob tube camera to analyze in addition to ameliorate the image. Imaging capabilities include enhanced tone mapping, improved exposure command in addition to confront detection–based auto-exposure in addition to automatic white balance.

The Apple T2 safety chip on the iMac Pro motherboard, courtesy of iFixit

Secure Enclave cryptographic coprocessor

This cryptographic coprocessor powers line-speed encrypted storage amongst File Vault in addition to provides the groundwork for secure boot, which ensures the lowest levels of software aren’t tampered amongst in addition to alone a legitimate operating organization trusted past times Apple loads at startup. It too protects your Apple Pay information in addition to Touch ID biometric information from the prying eyes.

SSD controller

Data on the built-in SSD is encrypted using T2’s hardware-accelerated AES engine amongst 256-bit keys tied to a unique identifier inside the chip itself. With on-the-fly information encryption, everything stored on the SSD is automatically in addition to fully encrypted without functioning penalty.

System administration controller

This controller is responsible for low-level functions on Intel-based Macs similar responding to presses of the ability push in addition to to the display lid opening in addition to closing. It too does battery management, thermal administration in addition to keyboard backlighting. As a bonus, it manages precipitous displace in addition to ambient calorie-free sensors, condition indicator light, battery condition indicator lights in addition to fifty-fifty selects an external (instead of internal) video root for to a greater extent than or less iMac displays.

Before T2, at that spot was the less-capable T1 which debuted inward 2016’s MacBook Pro amongst Touch Bar

For the total analysis of the Apple T2 safety chip in addition to its components, how it was designed in addition to what it does, move for certain to read Apple’s T2 Security Overview document.

Need help? Ask iDB!

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