This handy app will let you put a fake Touch Bar from the new MacBook Pro on an old Mac
Apple recently introduced the new OLED keyboard called “Touch Bar” on the newly released MacBook Pro series. If you want to know exactly how the new Touch Bar works, then you will be happy with this news.
Some developers have uploaded a new app called Touch Demo Bar to GitHub, which allows users to get to know the new Touch Bar for free in two different ways, even if they don't own one of the new MacBook Pros. First, they can either run it on macOS and access it via the function key, or run it on an iPad that they connect via USB to their laptop.
To use the first method, make sure you are running macOS Sierra 10.12.1 build 16B2657 or above, which provides support for the Touch Bar on macOS. Since this has Touch Bar functionality baked into it, older versions will not work. Download the latest zip from the release notes section and place the app in your Applications folder and run the app (you may need to Ctrl+click and select Open to bypass MacOS security settings). To build the iOS app, open TouchBar.xcodeproj, connect your iOS device, and select TouchBarClient and your device.
Press the Fn key and the Touch Bar will appear, changing dynamically depending on the app you're using. Since your Mac doesn't have a touchscreen, you can select the numerous features by clicking on them. While this certainly won't give you the full authentic Touch Bar experience, it's a fun way to get used to Apple's latest technology on your old Mac.
The other option is to use the Touch Bar from within your iPad, via a USB cable. This method brings up full Touch Bar functionality, as you can see in the video below. The Touch Bar simply appears on the iPad and can be controlled via a virtual Touch Bar. Images respond and open instantly based on which app is open on your Mac.
