A simple and effective way to make Touch ID work better, more reliably and faster. An easy and effective way to make Touch ID work better, more secure and faster How to set up a fingerprint on iphone 6

Apple provides users of its technology with a large number of functions designed to ensure complete security and protect the device from unauthorized 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 access certain applications. Unlike previous passwords, which were a combination of numbers or a key character, Touch ID checks the fingerprints of the person trying to unlock the phone or tablet and compares them with the fingerprints stored in the device's memory. If they match, then the unlocking is successful, but if Touch ID suspects that they are trying to hack the device, 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 a phone or tablet is stolen, it will be very difficult for an attacker to remove it from the locked state.

Touch ID first appeared on the iPhone 5S and is present on all subsequent phone models. This technology is also available on iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.

How to enable, disable and configure Touch ID on iPhone

Before activating Touch ID, it is recommended that you restart your device, close all applications and wash your hands, since the first time you turn it on you will need to add your fingerprints, and if they are unclear, you may have problems unlocking the device in the future.

  1. Open the Settings application.
  2. Go to the “Touch ID and Passcode” section.
  3. Click the “Add fingerprint” button. Detailed instructions for adding a fingerprint will appear on the device screen. It will be necessary to apply your finger several times, raising and lowering it at the right moment. Hold the device the way you normally hold it. Don't place your finger straight or at a certain angle; place it on the Home button the way you most often place it during everyday use.
  4. If you think that the fingerprint is inaccurate, then find it in the “Fingerprints” block and swipe it from right to left. A “Delete” button will appear, which you must click to erase the fingerprint.
  5. You can click on the name of the resulting fingerprint to assign any other name.
  6. Now we activate the “Unlock iPhone” function if you want the device to unlock only after touching it with your finger.
  7. Activate the "iTunes Store, App Store" feature if you want your fingerprint to be required when entering the store.
  8. If you want to disable Touch ID technology on your device, then deactivate the two features above.

What to do if a function stops working or crashes

Some users experience problems immediately after enabling Touch ID, while others experience problems after a few days or months. The problem may be the following: Touch ID does not work, has stopped 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:

  1. Reboot your device by pressing the Lock and Home buttons at the same time for 8-10 seconds.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Go to the Touch ID and Passcode section.
  4. Delete any existing prints. To do this, first click on the name or fingerprint number.
  5. In the tab that opens, click the “Delete fingerprint” button. Repeat this operation with all prints.
  6. Click the Add Fingerprint button. Follow all the instructions that appear on the device screen: remove and reapply your finger, rest the tip or middle of your finger, rotate, and others. Repeat this process with each finger.

What to do if the fingerprint scanner is not working well - video

If restoring fingerprints does not help fix problems with Touch ID, you need to take the device to a service center to get advice from a qualified specialist and possibly send the device for repair, since the problem is most likely in the hardware of the phone or tablet. If you hacked the firmware of your device 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.

Biometric sensor touch ID first appeared in Apple devices in . A year later he moved to,. From a pleasant addition for owners of a flagship smartphone, the fingerprint scanner has turned into a real tool for protecting access not only to the mobile device itself, but also to individual applications, and has also become an integral element of the payment system. Unfortunately, Touch ID still does not always work as intended and as users would like. Let's try this to correct.

All the best deals on iPhones (there are even 20 thousand cheaper than the market). They change something and even give it away for free.

In May last year, Roman Yuryev already discussed this topic in detail and described in detail how to set up Touch ID so that you could then forget for a long time about malfunctions of the sensor and manually entering a password. Unfortunately, over time, the algorithm of the fingerprint scanner still begins to work with some “quirks”, which subsequently only become more frequent. For example, after switching to the iPhone 6, I was completely delighted with the updated Touch ID - it worked perfectly and smoothly for more than a month, and then suddenly began to fail, and this happened more and more every day.

The main thing is not to give up your hands, or in this case your fingers. The problem can be solved, using improvised means and will not require much of your time. This method was first described about a year ago, but for some reason it was ignored by most thematic resources, although the method really works, as I was convinced of from my own experience.

So, the best way to start is to delete all the prints and set them up again, as described in last year. After this, restart your smartphone, ending all applications first. Maybe these steps are unnecessary, but let them be for the purity of the experiment. Now let's go to Settings -> Touch ID & Password-> Enter the password, if necessary, and get into the very menu where your fingerprints are stored.

Now - attention - no more manipulations or transitions are needed, just touch the scanner the same way you do to unlock your device. Please note that when you hold your finger on the sensor known to the system, one of the prints in the list on the screen illuminated. This is the fingerprint of this finger, and you have just performed an additional scan of it, the results of which iOS saved somewhere in the system on the chip.

It happens in such a simple way Touch ID training, the biometric sensor receives additional pictures of your finger and can use them to unlock. Take five to seven minutes to properly scan each of your saved fingers, applying them to the button while in this menu. Each time one of the prints is highlighted, it means that the procedure was successful. Additional scans of your finger will appear in the device’s memory, and Touch ID will work much better, the actuation process will be noticeably faster.

Once again, each finger is different, many times - the result will be noticeable immediately and will continue with everyday use of Touch ID.

The Touch ID feature appeared for the first time on the iPhone 5S generation of smartphones. With this function, the user has the opportunity to increase the security of the mobile gadget. The essence of this technology is the use of a built-in biometric sensor. The sensor is built into the Home button. It reads the user's fingerprint and subsequently uses fingerprint scanning instead of entering a digital password.

Apple developers promise to release the second generation of biometric sensor in the near future, which will significantly improve the performance of this function.

Setting up Touch ID.

When purchasing a new mobile gadget, you need to activate your Apple ID, after which you can set up a fingerprint scanning sensor. To do this, you will need to perform several steps, which is not difficult. The system can store a total of five fingerprints on the device.

Before you start Setting up Touch ID and fingerprint scanning, we recommend washing your hands thoroughly. Don't forget to clean 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, place your finger on it and hold until a slight vibration appears. The system will inform you that your finger can be removed from the scanner. Remember not to press the button too hard.

Next, the system will ask you to change the position of the finger being scanned, which will allow you to get the highest quality fingerprint image. Apply the edge of your finger to ensure the highest quality scanning possible.

Setting up access when the device is already activated.

If your device is already activated, you can Setting up Touch ID through the main settings. To do this, go to the menu item and select Touch ID. Next, you need to select the appropriate Fingerprints item and carry out the procedures described above for saving and registering fingerprints.

Use Touch ID to make app store purchases.

This function is optimized with the application store, which allows user identification using fingerprint scanning.

To unlock a mobile gadget using the Touch ID function, you need to place your finger on Home. Remember that you do not need to press the button itself to unlock your smartphone.

If, when trying to read your fingerprints, for some reason you were unable to unlock your mobile gadget, you will need to enter the password manually. Please remember that the fingerprint sensor is disabled and requires manual password entry in the following cases:

When rebooting the device.

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 your Apple ID entry, 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 perform a 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.

The system memory can store 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 multiple fingers. In this case, the recognition accuracy increases significantly.

It is necessary to ensure the cleanliness of the biometric scanner. Therefore, periodically clean the Home button from dust and moisture. If there is dust, grease or dirt on the sensor surface, the recognition accuracy is noticeably reduced.

By installing the latest version of the software, you can significantly improve the accuracy of fingerprint recognition. The latest version of the operating system is optimized to work with Touch ID.

First of all, it is worth noting the Reachability feature in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which I already talked about in the chapters on device software. Now the scanner is used not only to read a finger pattern instead of entering a password, but also works as a touch surface, responding to user actions. Double-tapping the Home button allows you to slide down the interface of standard and third-party apps, making it easier to access the buttons at the top of the screen. This function works flawlessly and always on the first try, so a successful experiment can begin the search for new uses for this surface. Firstly, Apple could in the future abandon the mechanical button in favor of a fully touch-sensitive surface, thereby saving some space on the case. Secondly, come up with some other ways to use the scanner, because you can not only touch it, but also swipe it with your finger, which gives at least four more possible actions. For example, you can set it to return to the previous menu level.


The second important change in Touch ID is support for the Apple Pay payment system. It has not yet been launched, but the features of its operation are already known. To identify the user during payments, it will be possible to use a fingerprint scanner, and the smartphone will transmit an encrypted token via an NFC chip for secure payment for goods or services. Apple has managed to make a truly secure system, since a fingerprint is more secure than a four-digit password, and in addition, the device does not transmit information about a bank card and other payment data. The only problem is that it’s difficult to even imagine when Apple Pay might be launched in Russia, so that you can evaluate its capabilities yourself, and not be content with theoretical information.


The third innovation related to Touch ID is support for third-party applications. After the launch of the iPhone 5s and iOS 7, Apple did not allow third parties to access the scanner data, which greatly limited its use. Few believed that the situation would change, but Cupertino decided to meet the users halfway. Now, for identification in applications, you can use a scanner instead of entering a password, which is very convenient in diaries and notes, programs for accounting for finances and collecting passwords. The App Store already has software that supports Touch ID, such as Day One, 1Password and Evernote. As for using the scanner in practice, an example is the operation of an application for storing passwords. In the Safari browser, using the 1Password extension, you can quickly fill out logins and passwords for sites, and to avoid entering a complex master password, just put your finger on the Home button. This saves a lot of time and nerves and allows you to expand the audience of users who care about data security, thanks to simplified authorization.

Touch ID is a unique fingerprint reader technology. It is equipped with such versions of mobile gadgets from Apple as iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. According to the manufacturer, this technology is more advanced in models of the sixth line. However, many users often complain on forums that Touch ID is a rather poorly functioning element in both the first and second versions.

The idea behind Touch ID is certainly a good one. And not only in terms of marketing, but also for practical use. Using Touch ID, the owner of an iPhone can unlock his device, log into the “accounts” of some programs on the network, and make payments using Apple Pay. But this is only if the technology functions smoothly, which is not always the case. As in any electronic mechanism, Touch ID sometimes also has problems. How to deal with them? Let's figure it out.

Firstly, if problems were discovered after a recent firmware upgrade to OS version 9 (or more recent versions of iOS), a downgrade may be required. This term refers to the rollback of the system to a previous version. But if the problems are not that serious, the best solution would be to wait for the next update.

All other problems are often caused by misunderstandings that do not imply anything serious. Therefore, the user can solve most of them independently, without going to a repair shop. Moreover, there are not many such problems, and the methods for solving them have long been known. In this article, we will look at each problem and how to solve it in detail.

It often happens that the fingerprint does not work on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S. If a system malfunctions, experts recommend making a simple reconfiguration. In other words, you need to retrain the gadget to recognize a fingerprint. When the first scanners appeared, Apple was concerned with annual software updates for them. This is done so that the devices remember the fingers of their owners as best as possible.

Significant optimization in this area was carried out in the eighth version of the operating system. But as the practical experience of many users has shown, if the fingerprint is not regularly refreshed, after about a month Touch ID will begin to malfunction. The reasons for this are usually the most banal, but they are basically cosmetic in nature (the fingerprint has worn out, dry skin on the finger, and similar misunderstandings).

Considering the above, if Touch ID glitches on the iPhone 5S you need to update the fingerprint in the gadget’s memory. But before the procedure, you need to thoroughly wipe the surface of the display and wash your hands. Then you should go to the iPhone settings, and after that - to the Touch ID password section. In this case, the earlier fingerprint must be removed by swiping, moving across the display from the right side to the left. After this action, you need to click on the add a fingerprint button and again carry out the usual operation of entering a fingerprint, in accordance with the instructions.

Touch ID doesn't work in the App Store

This, like the previous problem described, occurs quite often. And this usually happens due to the fact that the scanner does not interact with the App Store. As before, the reason most often lies in cosmetic factors. But sometimes the problem occurs due to software problems in the iPhone 5S. Many users note that gadgets based on OS version 8, or rather, the Touch ID technology in them, do not work in this store.

To solve this problem, you need to follow these steps:

  • Click on the settings section, and then on the Touch ID and password item.
  • Go to the technology usage section and disable the App Store.
  • Reboot the device system.
  • Return to original settings, enable App Store.

After all the steps have been completed, the Touch ID bug in the store should be automatically removed. Let us also remind you that if the user has not made purchases in a store during the day, when entering the store again, the system will prompt you to enter a password.

The fingerprint scanner doesn't work at all

It happens that the scanner itself fails, that is, it simply breaks. Although this happens extremely rarely.

A breakdown can be signaled by complete inoperability of the technology after the update. In this case, you can try “Hard Reset” by performing a backup procedure first.

But if the issue is a malfunction of the iPhone 5S software, a hard reboot usually solves the problem 100%. Otherwise, the user will have to seek repairs, since it is impossible to do without competent diagnostics of the device.


Touch ID stops working in cold temperatures

According to statistics, glitches in the operation of technology in winter or in cold conditions occur much more often. As always, the explanation for this phenomenon is simple. It's all about changes in the papillary pattern of the fingers, which changes when weather conditions change. Of course, it is not possible to detect such changes by eye. But smart Touch ID immediately detects them and reports failures.

As you might have guessed, this whole issue is also treated through updating the fingerprint. But here everything can be made even easier. All you have to do is complete and save your “winter” fingerprint in the device’s memory. To do this, you need to do the procedure as soon as you come from the street, and your fingers are still cold. Although, this is not a guarantee of a successful solution to the problem. According to reviews from iPhone owners, the above methods do not always cope with the situation.

If the scanner does not work in dirty or damp conditions

There is no need to go into long explanations here. Obviously, moisture and dirt prevent the system from scanning a fingerprint. We are talking about the presence of dirt or moisture not only on the finger itself, but also on the surface of the scanner. Therefore, before the operation, you need to wash and dry your hands well and carefully wipe the scanner with a dry cloth.

But you should remember one important point: you don’t need to keep your hands in water for a long time when washing, as this will cause the skin to swell and the papillary pattern will change significantly.

However, Apple guarantees fans of its products that in the new sixth line of gadgets labeled S, Touch ID works more effectively with wet surfaces. But at the same time, the developers still do not recommend using the scanner when your hands are wet.


Breakdowns after repair: causes

In simple words, during the process of repairing the device, the cable between Touch ID and the telephone board may be damaged. This leads to the fact that the system is no longer able to determine the authenticity of the fingerprint. And after that, the gadget deactivates the biometric sensor. In such a situation, replacing individual elements in order to improve the operation of the technology is impossible. The IDs between the Secure Enclave and a third party sensor simply will not match.

If the cable is completely damaged, then restoring it is an impossible task. The fact is that it includes ten tracks consisting of several layers. And the thickness of each track is a tenth of a millimeter.

The situation is different with the elements of the Home button that regulate the process of registering a click. Replacement is a simple matter. However, from now on, unlocking the device will be available exclusively through a password. It's easy to identify a broken Touch ID through settings. To do this, you need to carefully consider the menu for adding new fingerprints. It should be gray if there are any faults.

The only method of obtaining a properly functioning sensor with fingerprint technology at its core is to use elements of another device. This means you will need to install a new board and home button. However, this repair will be very expensive for the user. In such a situation, it is advisable to purchase a new iPhone. Of course, if Touch ID technology is very important for the user.

Share with friends or save for yourself:

Loading...