Why does the iPhone fingerprint break? How do I fix an issue where I can't complete Touch ID setup? Update your iOS operating system to the latest version

Fingerprint sensor finger touch ID on a fairly recent iPhone does not always work when touched and you have to constantly enter the password? If you are faced with similar problem, then in this material we will tell you how to fix it.

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Everyone knows that after purchase new iPhone You must complete the activation procedure and initial setup of the device, which includes setting up the Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the Home button. The user is asked to add a fingerprint with which the iPhone can be unlocked.

From our many years of observations of users setting up a new iPhone, we can say with confidence that adding a fingerprint to Touch ID during the initial setup of the device is often done very quickly and not always with an understanding of the process. Most users hold their iPhone in a completely different way when setting up the biometric sensor. normal use. This is where the whole secret lies.

Moreover, after initial setup iPhone, few people return to Touch ID options (in iOS settings) to continue the process of improving sensor performance. As a result, users continue to use the single fingerprint that was recorded in Touch ID when they first set up the iPhone. But in the sensor parameters you can add as many as 5 prints. So…

Touch ID doesn't work well on iPhone: how to properly set up the fingerprint sensor on iPhone or iPad

1 . Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and go to the Touch ID & Passcode section.

2 . Enter your passcode.

3 . Remove any added fingerprints. To do this, select each fingerprint and click Delete fingerprint.

4 . Click Add a fingerprint.

5 . Hold your iPhone or iPad the same way you would normally hold the device before unlocking it.

6 . Go through the process of adding all five fingerprints this way:

add your fingerprint twice Right thumb;
add your fingerprint twice Left thumb;
add your fingerprint once Index finger of the right hand(if you are right-handed) or left hand (if you are left-handed).

The point of this operation is to add more fingerprints to the most used unlock option. The scheme we have proposed can be changed if desired. For example, if you always unlock the device using one hand, then it would not be superfluous to add 3, 4 or even all 5 possible fingerprints to the Thumb.

Try it now. In the vast majority of cases this will solve the problem bad work Touch ID.

If, after completing the procedure for adding fingerprints, the sensor still does not respond well, try rebooting the device. If the reboot did not help, then there are two options left - either you are the owner of hands with an anomalous fingerprint structure (we have met such users) or the problem is still in the touch sensor ID.

Touch ID was one of the main innovations in the iPhone 5s and, along with the 64-bit processor architecture, set a trend for manufacturers around the world. Since then there have been three iPhone generation with fingerprint sensor. Naturally, many of them managed to go through fire and water, as well as repairs at unofficial service centers. We explain why the fingerprint scanner may stop working afterward.

First, you need to understand how Touch ID works and why repairing it is almost a hopeless task.

The Home button on the new iPhones is a high-tech sandwich. From mechanical damage It is protected by scratch-resistant sapphire glass. It is surrounded by a special metal ring that responds to touch and triggers a CMOS sensor located under the glass, which acts as a lens. The unique pattern on the fingertip is scanned at a resolution of 500 pixels per inch.

Next, a 64-bit processor comes into play, which compares the scan with those mathematical images of fingerprints that are stored in the Secure Enclave designated for this purpose. This is a special coprocessor integrated into the Apple A7 and subsequent generations of systems-on-chip. When manufactured, it receives its own identifier (UID), which is inaccessible to any component of the system and even to Apple itself - the processor does not read fingerprints, but simply transmits packets of information to an encrypted memory area that Secure Enclave uses. Touch sensor The ID exchanges data with the processor via the serial peripheral interface bus - it is its damage that disables the biometric sensor.

Simply put, partial damage to the cable between Touch ID and the phone board does not allow the iPhone to confirm the authenticity of the fingerprint, after which the smartphone deactivates the biometric sensor. In this case, replace individual components to restore functionality is not possible, since the identifiers between the third-party sensor and the Secure Enclave will not match. It is also impossible to completely restore a damaged cable - it consists of ten multi-layer tracks, the thickness of each does not exceed a tenth of a millimeter. But it’s quite possible to replace the mechanical elements of the Home button, which are responsible for registering the press. But from now on you will have to unlock the device exclusively with a password. It is easy to detect a broken Touch ID in the settings - the menu for adding new fingerprints will be displayed in gray.

The only way to get a working fingerprint sensor is to use “donor organs” from another smartphone. You'll have to install a new one system board and replace Home button. However, the cost of such an operation is comparable to buying a new iPhone, which will need to be gutted.

After iOS release 9 many iPhone users 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the devices of which underwent the Home button repair, suffered from the appearance of “error 53”. It signals that the fingerprint module did not pass the security check and the smartphone became a “brick.” The error appeared during the update, but there was simply no solution - only returning the original components to the device. In iOS 9.2.1, Apple returned the ability to update devices. However, this support forum thread has received over 200,000 views, indicating the scale of the problem.

Users who have encountered a touch id malfunction know how annoying it is. But few understand why this happened and what to do next.

If touch id stops working on iPhone 6, 6s, then you need to immediately figure out the problem. Remember what happened to the gadget in recent days.

The main causes of malfunction can be the following factors:

system update;
settings failure;
sudden temperature changes;
dirt or moisture on the surface of the scanner.

Important: if suddenly If 3D touch stops working on iPhone 6, 6s, then immediately contact a specialist. This breakdown requires surgical intervention.

Problems and their independent solutions

It is possible to eliminate minor problems that do not require special knowledge. Ways to solve them:

Scanner failure after updating occurs in rare cases. This is explained by the release of an unoptimized upgrade, which affects work touch id. To solve the problem, you need to roll back the system to a previous working version.
Settings failure may be due to long-term use the same fingerprint. Do not forget that the finger changes its pattern and after a month it is recommended to give the iPhone a new trace. Reconfigure and the scanner will work.
It is not surprising if the fingerprint on the iPhone 6, 6s does not work well in the cold. And again it's a matter of changing the finger pattern. To avoid similar situation can add additional function in the device settings.
Dirt and moisture block scanning. To restore the scanner, simply wipe it with a dry cloth.

Tip: Wash your hands before scanning. This will protect the device from foreign bodies getting inside and protect it from possible malfunctions.

When to contact specialists

If none of the points above helped solve the problem, then contact a professional. Order touch repair Id iPhone 6, 6s in St. Petersburg in our service center by phone. Masters will provide the following services:

The device will be disassembled using special set screwdrivers and other tools.
Will conduct full diagnostics, carefully examining all contacts under a microscope.
The cause of the breakdown will be determined.
They will name a list of new parts to be replaced and announce the final cost of repairs.
They will replace faulty spare parts and reassemble the device in reverse order.
Check the functionality of the iPhone.
A warranty card will be issued.

If you are not confident in your abilities, then bring the gadget to specialists. They will return the device to functionality in just a few hours.

After installing iOS firmware on iPhone 5S, a problem may arise where Touch ID does not work on iPhone 5s. Our review will help owners Apple gadgets understand what to do in such cases.

The problem occurs due to the imperfect sensitivity of the fingerprint scanner, but with each updated firmware, Apple promises to improve the functionality of Touch ID and its response to touches. Loss of biometric sensitivity touch scanner ID does not arise immediately, but over time, and given the fact that it is completely new technology, you can close your eyes a little to the flaws in his work.

The first advice for such symptoms would be to: rescan. This will help improve the response of Touch ID and, probably, the user will be able to postpone a visit to the service center for a long time.

In the smartphone settings menu (basic), go to “Touch ID and password”.
Select a fingerprint from the Touch ID menu (pulsates gray) and scan it again. If necessary, perform this procedure with all previously registered fingerprints in the iPhone’s memory.

What to do if Touch ID doesn't work at all

If, during a secondary scan of the fingerprints that you registered before, the problem could not be resolved, and the scanner does not respond to touch at all, use our second advice - remove all your fingerprints (the “delete” button), and then register them again.

Removing fingerprints. Step-by-step instruction

Open iPhone 5S's main settings → Touch ID & Passcode and enter the secret code.
Select the sub-item of the menu that opens “Touch ID and password”.
Enter the passcode you previously set (secret code).
Selecting the fingerprints that you have previously registered one by one, delete them by clicking the “Delete Finger print” button.

Re-registration of fingerprints. Instructions

After removal, the problem where the fingerprint does not work on the iPhone 5s is eliminated, because the gadget will function perfectly without activating this innovation function, but the trouble is that the owner of the iPhone likes its capabilities, he is already used to using it. So, let’s register the “fingers” again. Apple took care of users and created the most simple diagram adding fingerprints to the gadget's memory. Re-registration in many cases helped resolve the issue of refusal Touch functions ID.

Go to menu iPhone settings 5S → “Touch ID and password”. At this point, you will have no registered fingerprints since you just deleted them all.
As before, select the “Add a Fingerprint...” function.
To fix the problem of fingerprint not working on iPhone 5s, hold the finger whose fingerprint you want to add and press the Home button several times. You must remember to tap several times until the imprint on the screen is completely filled with red.

Raise your finger and touch the Home button as many times as necessary to full scan. At the same time, users' opinions on the issue of touch frequency are divided: some believe that the smaller the touch step, the higher the accuracy of fingerprint recognition. Others, on the contrary, believe that moving your finger across the scanner plays a more important role for further work.

After re-registration unlock your iPhone. If everything worked out, you won’t need to read further advice. However, if your smartphone still does not have Touch ID on iPhone 5s, try to resolve the error using the following method.

Restore via backup

Complete smartphone renewal via backup copy can help with the error of the fingerprint scanner not working in the iPhone 5S.

Connect your smartphone to a PC on which iTunes is installed.
On the left side or in the upper sector on the right, select your gadget
Go to the “Browse” menu and select the “iPhone recovery” command.
Then you will see iTunes question about the creation backup iPhone, you should select “Create a backup” if a backup has not been made before. If you previously made a backup copy in iCloud or iTunes, then you do not need to create another one. Then you need to click on the “Restore and Update” command (will appear in a pop-up window).
The iTunes app will start installing immediately iOS firmware to your smartphone
When the installation is complete, from iCloud clouds or via iTunes you can restore the backup on your phone.

This method, in most cases, should help fix the problem when fingerprints do not work on the iPhone 5s, even though re-registering them did not fix the problem. To be fair, we note that over time Touch ID often does not work on the iPhone 6 either.