iPhone 6 does not recognize fingerprint. IPhone: Touch ID does not work. Recalibrating the Touch ID sensor

Sometimes iPhones break due to the fault of users. Some breakdowns can be easily fixed at almost any service center. However, there are problems that cannot be fixed without Apple's intervention. For example, a button with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner is tied to the device’s processor. It can be replaced, but the fingerprint scanner will not work. Only Apple can help with this, and it decided to help.


According to Reuters, Apple has begun shipping devices called Horizon Machine to authorized service centers. It is planned to supply devices to more than 200 service centers in 25 countries. You can only change the fingerprint scanner in an iPhone while maintaining its functionality using this device, which will perform the necessary calibration.


It will be great if Horizon Machine appears in every authorized service center. This will make repairing Apple devices more affordable and faster. Unfortunately, there are cities where there are no authorized Apple service centers. It is for this reason that there is an initiative that wants to require tech companies to provide specifications and tools to repair their products. Apple is active

Touch ID is a device for recognizing fingerprints of iPhone and iPad users. Thanks to reading, you can unlock your phone or instantly log in to applications such as Amazon, LastPass. The function is also used in the AppStore to make payments.

After installing the new iOS 10, some users experienced problems with the scanner. There are several types of malfunction:

  1. The phone freezes at the fingerprint recognition stage;
  2. Sensor not working while charging iPhone;
  3. Sudden reset of previously configured fingerprints.

Also, the reason that Touch ID does not work on the iPhone may be a fall or impact of the phone, which damages the sensor. Let's take a closer look at how to quickly solve the problem and return the fingerprint scanner to normal.

Resetting the Scanner

If your iPhone freezes while scanning your fingerprint, you should reconfigure the sensor. All data about saved “fingers” is located in the phone settings (the “Touch ID and password” window).

Remove any existing fingerprints, turn off the "IPhone Unlock" and "ITunes Store, App Store" sliders, and then restart your phone. After turning on your device, go to settings again and add new multi-fingerprints. This re-configuration allows you to reset the erroneous configuration and resume operation of the scanner at the software level.


No Touch ID response while charging

There are cases when Touch ID does not work while charging the iPhone. In this case, you should completely discharge the phone, then connect it to power and charge it to 100%. During charging, it is advisable to turn on Airplane mode and not use the device. Then do a soft reset (without data loss). After these steps, the biometric scanner will work normally. Do not use a fake iPhone charger; after connecting it to the device, functional failures may occur.

Remember! You should not update your phone's firmware or restore it through iTunes if one of its hardware components does not work (Touch ID, camera, etc.). During the update process, the desktop program automatically checks the functionality of all components of the smartphone. If contact with one of the components is not established, error code 53 will appear (the update progress will be canceled, and because of this the iPhone will no longer turn on).

Improving sensor performance in cold weather

In the cold, fingerprints are less recognized, and the phone’s biometrics often fail. To improve Touch ID performance in cold temperatures, enter a new cold fingerprint into the existing scanner database. This helps the iPhone remember the current state of the finger and better recognize it in the future.

Replacing the Touch ID cable

If the cause of a non-working scanner is a hardware failure, previously saved data will not be displayed in the smartphone settings (Touch ID window). There will also be no option to add a new fingerprint. The only solution is to check the scanner cable.

Disassemble the phone and remove the Home button from the display module. Check the connection of the cable, if it just came off, just reconnect it and reassemble the phone. However, it will most likely be torn. The figure below shows a clear example of a break in the Home button cable (the location of the break is indicated by a red curved line).


There is no way to replace the cable, because the Home button cannot be disassembled. In this way, Apple protects devices from biometric sensor substitution. The Home button should be replaced (when purchasing the part, a corresponding cable is included in the package).

Touch ID is a useful and convenient identifier not only in the iPhone but also in other Apple devices. Very often we hear from owners that touch id doesn't work on iPhone or iPad. In this article, we will figure out why the fingerprint sensor does not work or shows a notification that a failure has occurred.

Touch ID doesn't work - what to do

If Touch ID does not work or simply crashes frequently, we recommend that you reset the fingerprints in the device. By the way, delays in Touch ID operation may appear after updating iOS.

Before updating your fingerprints, thoroughly dry the surface of the scanner on your iPhone or iPad, and even better, wash your hands and also dry them thoroughly so that they are not wet, greasy, and so on.

  1. Go to "Settings".
  2. Enter your password code.
  3. Delete previously entered fingerprints (swipe from right to left).
  4. Add fingerprints again.

Optimization of the operating system does not stop, Apple engineers are improving and adding new features and therefore some data, for example the same fingerprints in the touch ID, needs to be updated.

Why Touch ID stopped working in the App Store

Often in the App Store, Touch ID may also stop working. As a rule, such a problem is also associated with software and is a common malfunction.


If Touch ID in the App Store stops working, follow these steps:

  1. Go to "Settings".
  2. Go to the “Touch ID and Passcode” tab.
  3. In the "Use Touch ID" features section, turn off the "iTunes Store and App Store" slider.
  4. Exit Settings and restart your device.
  5. Then go again to “Settings” and then to the required tab “Touch ID and passcode”.
  6. Switch the “iTunes Store and App Store” slider to active mode.

After completing the steps above, the Touch ID glitch in the App Store should be resolved.

Touch ID stopped working altogether

If the above instructions did not help you, then you need a hard reset. If the problem was of a software nature, then this method will help restore Touch ID functionality. Of course, the possibility that the sensor has simply failed cannot be ruled out; in such a case, we recommend contacting a service center for help in troubleshooting the problem.

Touch ID stopped working in winter - what to do


Recently, in the news feed and on social networks, there have been frequent discussions and opinions regarding the new fingerprint recognition feature called Touch ID in the iPhone 5s. Basically, all discussions come down to security issues and future prospects for this method of protecting and accessing the device. For some reason, what seems to me to be a more pressing question is raised much less frequently: is it convenient to use Touch ID in everyday life?

It is clear that initially the fingerprint is stored in memory, followed by a touch, then pressing the “Home” button, and as a result, the device is unlocked. All this is very fun and interesting, but does the process really look so beautiful, simple and easy?

I think it would be quite appropriate here to give a few opinions or, if you like, observations from famous people in the world of “Apple-aligned” journalism, based on their personal experience.

For example, here's what John Gruber (of daringfireball.net) thinks about it:

Although this may technically be correct, Dustin Curtis (creator of the interactive magazine svbtle.com, and part-time blogger) argues that in fact it is not entirely true:

When the phone is locked, unlocking with Touch ID feels a little clunky; you must touch the sensor on the Home button with your finger, press the button and manage to release it without removing your finger from the sensor, and you must manage to do all this before Siri is activated. It works, but it feels strange.

In general, I will say this - unlocking is truly “instant”, but only if the lock screen is in an active state at that moment. It was funny to watch new owners trying to unlock the device by simply swiping or touching the sensor with their finger. It would seem that a completely simple and logical action - unlocking the iPhone - actually consists of two non-obvious ones: “waking up” by pressing the “Home” button and reading the fingerprint with the sensor. That is, an iPhone in an inactive state simply will not respond to the finger; reading occurs immediately after activating the device by pressing Home as usual.

And John Gruber is at it again:

Touch ID doesn't rely on button presses in any way, and there shouldn't be any lag... Try this: Place your finger on the Home button while your iPhone is locked. Activate your iPhone with the Power button, not the Home button. Unlocking is instant.

What can I say: apparently, I’m somehow wrong, not one of those people who usually unlock the iPhone with both hands...

The most common problem that the average iPhone and iPad user encounters when using or adjusting the scanner is the “Failure” notification. Touch ID setup cannot be completed. Go back and try again." When most of the screen is occupied by an annoying reminder that “Touch ID does not work,” this prevents you from fully using your mobile device with full capabilities. When the touch ID on the iPhone does not work, most people wait for an OS update, but no one is going to wait that long, which is why you should figure out what to do if adjustment is impossible.

The latest models are equipped with a Home key that has a fingerprint scanner. Since people actively use it, there is nothing surprising in the frequent breakdown of this mechanism. A failure can occur after an accidental fall, damage to the case, and much more. There are rare cases when a mobile phone is faulty at the production stage or a refurbished smartphone arrives at a store, and after the update they are identified. If not much time has passed and the smartphone reports a failure, it is recommended to immediately return it to the store.

Climatic conditions can also affect functionality. A sharp change in temperature or the advantage of cold, moisture-saturated air affects the functionality of the smartphone. Some users do not know how to set up a fingerprint scanner, which is why they record their physiological data on the street with temperatures below zero. In this case, the root of the failure lies not in the smartphone itself, but in a change in the papillary pattern of the pattern.

It is impossible to independently record various changes, but the touch ID detects various changes, after which failures begin. Messages like “A fingerprint sensor error has occurred” appear. The update corrects the bug, but such manipulations do not always work as expected.

Users who do not have enough money for repairs at an official service center go to local “craftsmen”. Many of them change the situation for the worse - “Home” stops responding to pressing, and they themselves do not know what to do in this or that situation. After replacement, a bunch of other faults appear. The problem lies in the mechanism itself - Apple designers created it so that it cannot be repaired. Only replacing it, as well as the motherboard and other spare parts, can completely repair the mobile phone.

If you repair it yourself, the sensor will most likely be blocked due to intrusion into the protected area of ​​the system. This can only be corrected at an official service center.

Re-registration of touch ID

This method eliminates the problem when the OS update does not work in any way despite any attempts to solve the problem. Following the instructions, it is possible to fix:

  1. Go to Settings and select “Scanner and passcode”, then write the password.
  2. Turn off features like iTunes Store and Apple Store, iPhone Unlocking, and, if you're a heavy user, Apple Pay.
  3. Return to the main screen, then hold down the Home and On/Off keys at the same time until the Apple logo appears on the display. After these manipulations, the device will automatically reboot, this will take no more than a minute.
  4. Do the first step again.
  5. Re-enable those sections that were disabled in the second paragraph.
  6. Update the pattern - this is important, as the old ones will automatically be erased.

When the operation is completed, the device will function as before, and the problem notification will no longer appear from time to time.

The second way to solve the problem

If Touch ID stops working and it does not recognize your fingers, then you should use other methods that are not as effective as the previous one:

  1. Delete the old information in the settings section and install them again.
  2. Reboot the device as described in the first method while the battery is charging. For some users it worked, and everything started as before, despite the unusual nature of such a solution.
  3. Reset the main settings on the device, while it is possible to save the necessary files and contacts. To reset, go to the main Settings menu, then “General”, “Reset all settings”. When all points are completed correctly, restart the gadget.

Chemicals

In some cases, along with the fingerprint scanner, the Home key itself stops responding. As soon as fatty layers from the hands, crumbs, sweet drinks and other contaminants get into it, the key functions more when pressed. To fix the problem, it is better to use WD-40 aerosol, which does its job perfectly. At the same time, you should handle not only this liquid, but also the screen with care.

If too much liquid gets on your mobile phone, other problems will appear on the device. Once the chemical is applied, you have to click on the key many times to get it underneath. Then the cleaning agent will get rid of the dirt and not only the key, but also the touch ID will come back to life again.

Third party programs

When the root of the problem is not in the functioning of the phone, not in contamination, all that remains is to use applications. The additional menu does not turn on, which is why further use clogs up the RAM. This option will not change the state of the iPhone, but you will be able to use the phone as before. This method is inconvenient, although it is better than an ineffective part. The “Home” image is transferred to the main screen, after which it is used like a mechanical key.

Go to the main settings of your iPhone and go to the “General” category. Go to the "Accessibility" section and click on AssistiveTouch. As soon as the manipulations are completed, 4 scenarios will appear on the display. Select a picture of the “Home” key and only after that, a program will appear on the display that will display and simulate pressing the button. Although this is not a sophisticated method, it will allow you to use your iPhone 5 before going to the service center. The main thing is not to take the device to the above-mentioned “craftsmen” who do not know how to install a fingerprint on Apple products correctly.

Installation of a new mechanism

Engineers took care of such a replacement of the mechanism, so everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. When the home button does not work, in some situations it is easier to buy a new smartphone. An ordinary user will not be able to open a mobile phone without damaging some parts; even many specialists are not ready to take such a risk, which is why only highly qualified craftsmen with the necessary tools are required. Replacement is only needed if the button on the iPhone does not work after all operations. You should only contact an official service center, otherwise there is a high probability that the fingerprint on the Iphone 5s and other series will cause other problems.

Mechanism replacement for professionals

Before any manipulations, you will need tools that will allow you to open the iPhone 6 without unnecessary deformation. To get started, this is useful:

  1. Tweezers.
  2. Small spatula.
  3. Screwdriver-plus.
  4. Screwdriver-minus.
  5. Sucker.

First, unscrew a few screws located next to the power connector. Next, hold the screen using the suction cup and do not forget to help with the spatula. When disconnecting, your hands should not shake, as the touch cable will break at any time due to careless handling. The spudger will allow you to unplug the connector and lift up the display. Disconnect the protection from the cable and, after unscrewing several screws, disconnect the required part. After the procedure, errors like “Touch ID does not work on iPhone” do not occur.

Contacting the service center

When a gadget has a warranty, then by visiting a service center, the defect will be corrected absolutely free of charge: either the button will be completely replaced, or the gadget will be replaced with a new one, because when Touch ID is not working well, it’s easier to turn to experts. They know how to fingerprint a phone without any difficulty. Therefore, if you are not confident in your own abilities and are not sure whether you will be able to get rid of the glitch, it is better to immediately take your smartphone there.

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