pyobjc-framework-LocalAuthentication
Wrappers for the framework LocalAuthentication on macOS
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you are building a macOS application in Python and need biometric or device authentication. The package is actively maintained, carries no vulnerabilities, and provides direct access to a native macOS capability. Install friction is moderate due to platform specificity and three framework dependencies, but this is unavoidable for macOS-native authentication. Not applicable on non-macOS platforms.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- macOS only; requires Python 3.10 or later; LocalAuthentication framework available on modern macOS versions.
- Medium install friction: platform-specific wheels for macOS only (universal2 binaries across Python 3.10–3.15).
- Three runtime dependencies on other PyObjC framework packages.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive; no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in commercial or proprietary projects.
last release 2026-08-11 (3 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 803 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 663,822 downloads/mo, #5,433 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pyobjc-framework-localauthentication
from LocalAuthentication import LAContext
context = LAContext()
error = None
can_evaluate = context.canEvaluatePolicy_error_(0, error)- Specific macOS version requirements for LocalAuthentication framework availability.
- Whether biometric authentication works on all supported macOS hardware (M1/M2/Intel).
- Real-world error handling patterns and fallback behavior when biometric auth is unavailable.
What it is and what it does
This package wraps Apple's LocalAuthentication framework, exposing macOS biometric and device authentication APIs to Python. It allows developers to integrate Touch ID, Face ID, and other local authentication mechanisms into Python applications running on macOS. The bindings are thin wrappers around the Objective-C framework with no bundled documentation—users must consult Apple's framework documentation and PyObjC's general translation guides.
The package depends on three other PyObjC framework packages (pyobjc-core, pyobjc-framework-Cocoa, pyobjc-framework-Security) and is distributed as precompiled wheels for macOS universal2 binaries across Python 3.10 through 3.15. It is actively maintained and carries no known security vulnerabilities.
Use it for
- Add Touch ID or Face ID authentication to a macOS desktop application to unlock features or authorize actions.
- Implement device-level biometric verification in a Python service running on macOS hardware.
- Build a cross-platform authentication layer that uses LocalAuthentication on macOS and falls back to other methods elsewhere.
- Integrate biometric security into a macOS-native Python tool that requires user verification.
- Prototype or test biometric authentication workflows in Python before porting to Objective-C or Swift.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you are building a macOS application in Python and need biometric or device authentication.
The package is actively maintained, carries no vulnerabilities, and provides direct access to a native macOS capability. Install friction is moderate due to platform specificity and three framework dependencies, but this is unavoidable for macOS-native authentication. Not applicable on non-macOS platforms.
Install
pyobjc-framework-localauthentication on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction: platform-specific wheels for macOS only (universal2 binaries across Python 3.10–3.15). Three runtime dependencies on other PyObjC framework packages. Active maintenance with a release 3 days old.
macOS only; requires Python 3.10 or later; LocalAuthentication framework available on modern macOS versions.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive; no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in commercial or proprietary projects.
Quickstart
pip install pyobjc-framework-localauthentication
from LocalAuthentication import LAContext
context = LAContext()
error = None
can_evaluate = context.canEvaluatePolicy_error_(0, error)Verify before relying
- Specific macOS version requirements for LocalAuthentication framework availability.
- Whether biometric authentication works on all supported macOS hardware (M1/M2/Intel).
- Real-world error handling patterns and fallback behavior when biometric auth is unavailable.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagespyobjc-corepyobjc-framework-Cocoapyobjc-framework-Security |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 3 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 663,822 / month, #5,433 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleEnvironment :: MacOS X :: CocoaIntended Audience :: DevelopersNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XProgramming Language :: Objective CProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.15Programming Language :: Python :: Free Threading :: 3 - StableProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Software Development :: User Interfaces |
Evidence: pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp313-cp313-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp313-cp313t-macosx_10_13_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp314-cp314-macosx_10_15_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp314-cp314t-macosx_10_15_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp315-cp315-macosx_10_15_universal2.whl; pyobjc_framework_localauthentication-12.2.2-cp315-cp315t-macosx_10_15_universal2.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “macos biometric authentication”
- pyobjc-framework-LocalAuthenticationProvides Python bindings to macOS's LocalAuthentication framework,…
- pyobjc-framework-LocalAuthenticationEmbeddedUIProvides Python bindings for macOS's LocalAuthenticationEmbeddedUI…
- webauthnImplements server-side WebAuthn validation for passwordless…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Python Modules packages
Converts domain names between Unicode and ASCII-compatible encoding (Punycode) according to IDNA 2008 and Unicode Technical Standard 46, with security validation and broader script coverage than the standard library.
Install it if you work with internationalized domain names, need to validate domains, or use HTTP clients that depend on it transitively.
Setuptools is a Python build backend and package management tool that handles building, distributing, and installing Python packages, including support for C/C++ extension modules.
PyYAML parses and emits YAML 1.1 data format, enabling serialization and deserialization of configuration files and Python objects to and from human-readable YAML text.
Pydantic validates Python data structures against type hints, coercing and checking input at runtime to ensure it matches a declared schema.
Provides reusable metadata objects for use with PEP-593 `typing.Annotated` to express common constraints like bounds, collection sizes, and predicates on types.
Install it if you use or build libraries that need to express type constraints in a standardized, inspectable way—or if you want to annotate your own types with…
Provides runtime tools to inspect and introspect Python type annotations, enabling programmatic examination of type hints at execution time.
See also pyobjc-framework-LocalAuthenticationEmbeddedUI · webauthn · pyobjc-framework-DeviceDiscoveryExtension · pyobjc-framework-Accounts · pyobjc-framework-DeviceCheck · pyobjc-framework-Network · pyobjc-framework-Security · pyobjc-framework-VideoSubscriberAccount · pyobjc-framework-AuthenticationServices · pyobjc-framework-SecurityInterface