Apple provides users of its technology with a large number of functions designed to ensure complete security and protect the device from penetration of unwanted persons. One such add-on is Touch ID.
What is Touch ID
Touch ID is a password that can be set to unlock the device or to access some applications. Unlike previously existing passwords, which were a combination of numbers or a key sign, Touch ID verifies the fingerprints of the person trying to unlock the phone or tablet and compares them to the fingerprints stored in the device's memory. If they match, then the unlocking is successful, but if Touch ID suspects that the device is being hacked, it will go into lock mode. The user has three attempts to prove their identity using unique fingerprints.
The advantage of this technology is that it is the most reliable way to block access to your device or individual programs. If the phone or tablet is stolen, then it will be very difficult for an attacker to get him out of the blocking state.
Touch ID first appeared on the iPhone 5S and is present on all subsequent phone models. This technology is also available for iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.
How to enable, disable, and set up Touch ID on an iPhone
Before activating Touch ID, it is recommended to restart the device, close all applications and wash your hands, since the first time you turn it on, you will need to add fingerprints, and if they are blurry, then in the future there may be problems with unlocking the device.
- Open the "Settings" application.
- Let's move on to the Touch ID and Passcode section.
- Press the button "Add fingerprint". Detailed instructions for adding a fingerprint will appear on the device screen. You will need to apply your finger several times, raising and lowering it at the right time. Take your device the way you would normally hold it. Do not put your finger evenly or at a certain angle, place it on the Home button the way you usually put it in everyday use.
- If it seems to you that the print turned out to be inaccurate, then find it in the "Imprints" block and swipe over it from right to left. The "Delete" button will appear, which must be pressed to erase the print.
- You can click on the name of the received fingerprint to set any other name.
- Now let's activate the "Unlock iPhone" function if you want the device to unlock only after a touch of your finger.
- Activate the "iTunes Store, App Store" feature if you want your fingerprint to be requested when entering the store.
- If you want to disable Touch ID technology on your device, then deactivate the above two functions.
What to do if a feature stops working or crashes
Some users experience problems immediately after enabling Touch ID, and some after a few days or months. The problem may be as follows: Touch ID does not work, stops working, does not work the first time, does not work correctly. To get rid of all the above problems, you need to do the following:
- Restart the device by holding down the Lock and Home buttons simultaneously for 8-10 seconds.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to the Touch ID & Passcode section.
- Delete any existing prints. To do this, first click on the name or fingerprint number.
- In the tab that opens, click the "Delete fingerprint" button. Repeat this operation for all prints.
- Click the Add Fingerprint button. Follow all the instructions that appear on the device screen: remove and reapply your finger, lean the tip or middle of your finger, rotate, and others. Repeat this process with each finger.
What to Do When Fingerprint Reader Doesn't Work Well - video
If fingerprint recovery did not help fix the problems with Touch ID, you need to take the device to a service in order to get advice from a qualified specialist and, possibly, send the device for repair, since the reason is most likely in the stuffing of the phone or tablet. If you have jailbroken your device's firmware using Jailbreak, then this may be the reason. Also, the reason may be in the IOS version, you need to install the latest firmware on your device for Touch ID to work correctly.
Of course, this protection was to the liking of users who immediately began to use all the benefits of "apple products". However, after a while, numerous complaints began to appear on the official Apple technical support site that it was not possible to complete the Touch ID setup. Was such a useful solution completely ineffective? Or can the problem be solved? Let's consider in more detail in the article.
Causes
There are many factors that can affect smartphone performance. Some associate the failure to complete the Touch ID setup with the updated design of standard applications, new Siri functions, a change in the CarPlay interface and much more. However, the reasons can be much more trivial than it seems at first glance.
Most often, problems with the scanner appear at low temperatures. In this case, the Touch ID setting cannot be performed due to the fact that the touchscreen is elementary frozen and cannot read the user. In addition, in cold weather, it changes on a person's fingers. Of course, this cannot be seen with the naked eye, but for sensitive technology this is a huge problem. Therefore, if you were unable to complete the Touch ID setup, return to a warm place and try again when the device and your hands are warm.
The second common cause is dirt and moisture. If you try to set up the scanner in the rain or in cloudy weather, when high humidity prevails outside, then most likely it will not work. The same goes for dirty hands. Again, your fingers may look clean on the outside, but this will not be enough for the scanner.
Of course, there are more serious reasons why the Touch ID setup was not complete. Quite often, the problem occurs due to incorrect configuration or a short program crash. Also, the reason may lie in the hardware.
Correct setting
In order for Touch ID to work properly, you need to configure it. To do this correctly, you need to follow these steps:
- Make sure the Home button is clean and free of moisture. At the same time, hands should be dry.
- Go to phone settings and select "Touch ID password". Enter the code combination.
- Press "Add Fingerprint" and calmly touch the "Home" button without pressing it too hard.
- Keep your finger still until the device vibrates.
- Repeat the procedure. The finger must be lifted several times and pressed against the button again. In this case, it is recommended to slightly change its position.
- A new menu will appear on the screen where you will be asked to adjust the capture of the print. To do this, you need to take the phone in your hand in the most convenient way and put your finger on the "Home" button. This procedure is also repeated several times.
If you still cannot complete the Touch ID setup, you can try applying another finger. Or use a different method.
Touch ID recovery
To roll back previous changes and set new parameters, you need to follow these steps:
- Go to the main menu and select "Touch ID password" again.
- Enter the access code and delete the old biometric data.
- Repeat the procedure for adding a "cast".
If after that you still cannot complete the Touch ID setup on the iPhone, then you can try to restore the system through a backup that was previously made in the cloud storage or on a PC. To do this, you need to connect the device to your computer and go to iTunes. Then you just need to click the "Restore" button and select the desired backup date. After recovery, you must re-enter the biometric data, as described earlier.
If the problem is hardware
If there was a non-software glitch and you cannot complete the Touch ID setup, then the reason may lie in the device itself. The home button loop may have come off. To solve this problem, you need to carefully disassemble the phone. Then you need to disconnect the loop from the button, check if there is any damage on it, and plug it in again. In some situations, this helps to correct the error.
However, without proper experience, it is not worth conducting such experiments. If the user is confident in their abilities, then before performing such operations, it is imperative to save all data from the smartphone.
If Touch ID stops working in the App Store
Very often, users only notice a problem with the scanner when they enter the official Apple store. However, if the fingerprint is not removed in the App Store, then this may also indicate a problem with the device.
In this case, follow these steps:
- Go to settings and go to "Touch ID password".
- Enter the code and find the Usage section.
- Disable the App Store and iTunes Store in it.
- Reboot the device.
- Go to the settings again and repeat the procedure, only this time the stores must, on the contrary, be activated.
This usually helps to get rid of bugs.
Technical support
If none of the above helps, don't despair. Experienced Apple support professionals can help you figure out why you're having trouble completing your Touch ID setup. To do this, you need to go to the official website of the company and create a corresponding ticket. Or you can search in the questions already asked. Most likely, the site has a large number of discussion threads with similar problems. If the consultants offer to do everything that has already been announced, then all that remains is to go to the service center and try to diagnose the device. Before that, it is worth copying all the data from the phone again.
Last week, they asked to see why Touch ID suddenly stopped working on the iPhone 6S Plus, with which fingerprint unlocking occurs. In the settings, on the "Touch ID and Passcode" tab, the previously entered fingerprints were not found, and the function of adding a fingerprint itself was not active. This behavior of iOS did not bode well for the owner and clearly indicated a hardware problem. However, everything ended well ... but let's take it in order.
Why is Touch ID broken?
There are breakdowns that cannot be fixed in regular services. I will say more - not all Apple authorized service centers have the necessary equipment. Such breakdowns, first of all, include the replacement of the Home button starting with the iPhone 5S, that is, those devices that have a fingerprint scanner.
If you wish, you can replace it yourself, but you won't be able to keep the Touch ID working. The fact is that Touch ID is tied to the processor of the device and is unique for each phone. You can perform the necessary calibration after replacing the Home buttons only with the help of a special device Horizon Machine, which Apple provides to official service centers (in theory, they should be in each, but not the fact).
Something similar happened with third-party displays on the iPhone 8, which stopped working after installing iOS 11.3, but this is a purely software limitation, albeit not a pleasant one.
So it is useless to solve the problem with a non-working fingerprint scanner by flashing or restoring the device from a backup copy - a miracle will not happen. Most often, this problem occurs due to physical damage to the Home button loop (moisture, inaccurate assembly / disassembly of the device), or the loop is simply not fully installed during assembly.
As it turned out, the latter is exactly my case. It turned out that the problem with Touch ID appeared after replacing the battery in one of the unofficial services. Having disassembled the phone, it turned out that the home button cable was not fully inserted into the connector.
Having reconnected the cable, at the same time I checked the integrity of the cable itself (on iPhone 6 / 6S, it is not uncommon for them to break at the base of the button). If you decide to go inside the device yourself, before disconnecting any cables, turn off the phone and disconnect the battery cable. These are not pleasant moments thanks to the curvature of some masters.
The Touch ID feature appeared for the first time on the iPhone 5S generation. With this function, the user gets the opportunity to improve the security of the mobile gadget. The essence of this technology is to use a built-in biometric sensor. The sensor is built into the Home button. It reads the user's fingerprint, and then uses fingerprint scanning instead of entering a digital password.
Apple developers promise to release the second generation of the biometric sensor in the near future, which will significantly improve the work of this function.
Setting up Touch ID.
When buying a new mobile gadget, you need to activate your Apple ID, after which you can configure the fingerprint scan sensor. To do this, you will need to perform several steps, which is not difficult. In total, the system can store five fingerprints on the device.
Before you start setting up Touch ID and fingerprint scanning recommend that you wash your hands thoroughly. Don't forget to wipe down the Home button as well.
Before scanning, we come up with and enter any complex four-digit password. This password will be requested if the Touch ID system for some reason cannot recognize the previously saved fingerprint.
Take your mobile gadget in the position in which you usually press the Home button. Next, put your finger on it and hold it until a slight vibration appears. The system will inform you that your finger can be removed from the scanner. Remember that you do not need to press the button too hard.
Next, the system will ask you to change the position of the scanned finger, which will allow you to get the highest quality image of the fingerprint. Use the edge of your finger to maximize the quality of your scan.
Setting up access when the device is already activated.
If your device is already activated, you can swipe setting up Touch ID through the basic settings. To do this, go to the menu item and select Touch ID. Next, you need to select the appropriate item Fingerprints and carry out the above procedures for saving and registering fingerprints.
Using Touch ID for App Store purchases.
This function has been optimized with an app store to enable user authentication by fingerprint scanning.
To unlock a mobile gadget using the Touch ID function, you need to bring your finger to Home. Remember that you do not need to press the button itself to unlock your smartphone.
In the event that, when trying to read fingerprints, for any reason, it was not possible to unlock your mobile gadget, you will need to enter the password manually. It should be remembered that the fingerprint scanning sensor is disabled and requires manual password entry in the following cases:
When the device is rebooted.
In the event that the last unlocking was carried out more than 48 hours ago.
When you deactivate Touch ID in Settings.
If you want to use a previously saved fingerprint to activate the recording in Apple ID, you need to go to settings and activate the iTunes Store item.
Subsequently, when downloading a video or various programs, the system will display a request to scan a fingerprint.
We need to scan, after which the content you need will be downloaded. In this case, fingerprint recognition is performed in a maximum of five attempts.
Improving Touch ID performance.
In some cases, users may complain about incorrect scanning and recognition of the fingerprint system. We offer you fairly simple ways to increase the accuracy of the fingerprint recognition system.
System memory is capable of storing a maximum of five fingerprints. To make the system easily recognize the user, you can set the same fingerprint for different slots. To do this, you need to scan your one finger as if you were scanning different fingers. In this case, the recognition accuracy increases significantly.
Keep your biometric scanner clean. Therefore, periodically clean the Home button from dust and moisture. If there is dust, grease or dirt on the surface of the sensor, the recognition accuracy is noticeably reduced.
By installing the latest software version to date, you can significantly improve the accuracy of fingerprint recognition. The latest version of the operating system is optimized for Touch ID.
As you know, new mobile devices from Apple are equipped with fingerprint scanners. This device first appeared in the iPad Mini 3 and iPad Air 2, as well as the company's fifth generation smartphones. At the same time, the Touch ID setting has some important subtleties, so many Apple tablet users may have difficulties using the scanner.
What you need to know about Touch ID
There are a few main points that every iPad owner who decides to use a fingerprint scanner needs to know about:
- Touch ID is disabled when the device is restarted, so you must enter an unlock code to use the tablet. Also, the unlock password will have to be entered if more than 48 hours have passed since the last use of the gadget.
- Before using this technology to make purchases on the Internet, for example, in the App Store, you will need to enter your Apple ID password once.
- Sometimes the scanner may not work. The reasons for this problem can be various factors: from incorrect setting of the function, to dust or incorrect position of your finger on the Home button.
- IPad unlocking speed depends on the number of fingerprints in the Touch ID database. To date, their number is limited to five, which is quite enough for comfortable use of the apple tablet by the whole family.
Among other things, it is important to understand that this technology does not replace the device unlock password, but only complements it, making the use of the gadget more secure. You can turn off Touch ID at any time if needed.
Enabling Touch ID
In order to activate the fingerprint scanner, you need to do a number of fairly simple steps:
- Go to Settings - Touch ID & Password. To enter the menu, you will need to enter your iPad password.
- Go to the "Prints" section and click on the "Add" button.
- Put your thumb on the Home button and hold (do not press) until a short vibration. It is impossible not to feel it with your finger. It is necessary to keep your finger on the button naturally, that is, exactly as when you press the button normally.
- Scan the fingerprint again.
You can give the scanned finger a name if necessary. This is for ease of use of the tablet by multiple users.
basic settings
There are only two options in the Touch ID settings menu. The first item is "Unlocking iPad", the activation of which activates the unlocking of the device using a fingerprint. The second is “iTunes Store and App Store”. It is necessary to include this item if the user is going to make purchases in these online stores using a fingerprint.
Touch ID in apps
Starting with iOS of the eighth generation, application developers were given the opportunity to implement the function of unlocking their programs using a fingerprint scanner. Therefore, many developers of popular programs for iOS have implemented this function. Among them are DayOne Diary, Documents free file manager and others.
The use of such a function is a personal matter for each user. However, it is worth remembering that unlocking both the iPad itself and programs using Touch ID takes much less time than entering a password. It is also very convenient.
