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Why touch ID doesn't work on iPhone. Touch ID technology - what it is and why it doesn’t work: detailed explanations

Almost every iPhone owner considers the presence of a touch id fingerprint an advantage. This allows you to protect the device from the curiosity of others, increasing the level of protection. Touch id also serves as a key to confirm many transactions, such as banking. Some gadget owners are faced with a problem such as: “touch id does not work on iPhone se.” This type of failure can cause difficulty unlocking the screen and using the device.

There are various reasons why the fingerprint does not work on the iPhone SE.

Common reasons for iPhone SE not responding to Touch ID

  1. Incorrect settings initially affect the normal response of the biometric scanner. It's best to stick to Apple's recommendations. A logical solution would be not only to install unlocking using a fingerprint, but also using a password. This approach will make it easy to unlock the device if the sensor does not respond.

Scanner setup features:

  • Fingers and the home button should be clean and dry;
  • By clicking on the gear, you should select “Touch ID and password”, enter the numbers;
  • Next, you should click “add fingerprint” and lightly touch “Home”;
  • Ideal if you add 3 to 5 different fingerprints (their position) at once.

All these manipulations make it possible to achieve a quick response of the gadget to touch.

  1. Sometimes the poor condition of the owner’s hands leads to the fact that touch id does not work well on iPhone se 1. Burns and cuts lead to changes in the pattern on the fingertips, which, in turn, leads to certain problems in the device reading information.
  2. The "Home" button does not respond well due to the appearance of a mud ring. In this case, you should wipe the button with a napkin.
  3. Also, the iPhone SE sensor does not work in the cold. A good solution would be to add a new fingerprint in the settings, especially in cold weather. In this case, the sensor will react when it is below zero outside.
  4. Sometimes problems occur after updates. You can simply wait for new updates or try to fix the situation yourself. To do this, you should reset all settings, delete existing fingerprints and add everything again.

If resetting does not help, a complete flashing is necessary. It is more logical to entrust this procedure to a competent master.

Also, a visit to the service center is caused by a breakdown of the scanner itself, which sometimes happens with the iPhone SE. Only replacing the part will help correct the situation.

A fingerprint scanner has ceased to be something special - today not only flagship models, but also many decent-level smartphones have it. The fingerprint scanner is used to unlock the device, protecting it from unauthorized access. It is also used as a security element for some applications. This is a very convenient and reliable solution, but, unfortunately, only until the moment the scanner stops responding properly to the owner’s finger.

Possible causes of malfunction

All the reasons for a fingerprint scanner’s failure to perceive the smartphone owner’s fingerprint and respond properly to it can be divided into 4 groups:

  1. Damage to the button sensor cable (when you open the device yourself or after a strong impact);
  2. Software failure;
  3. The surface of the button is wet or heavily soiled;
  4. Changes in the fingerprint pattern (physical damage to the skin, its hardening due to frostbite, exposure to chemicals, callus formation).

Ways to fix the situation

Option 1: If you are sure that the sensor cable is damaged, take your smartphone to a repair shop. In most cases, craftsmen manage to cope with the breakdown.

Option 2: Update your smartphone software. You may have missed an important update, which caused the scanner to malfunction. If, on the contrary, the scanner stops working after installing the update, return to the previous firmware version. You can (don't forget to first create a backup so as not to lose all the information from your smartphone).

Option 3: Using a damp (not wet!) cotton swab soaked in alcohol, gently wipe the surface of the button. Dry it and check if the sensor is working. Touch the button only with clean, dry fingers.

Option 4: The method associated with replacing a fingerprint is very effective. The operation of the fingerprint scanner is not only normalized, but also accelerated. The procedure is as follows:

1 . Delete a fingerprint that was previously entered;

2 . Go to " Settings" -> "Sound" and there disable the screen unlock sound;

3 . Return to " Settings" -> "Lock screen and password" and there set the sleep time for the screen to 2 minutes;

4 . Next, we enter the fingerprints again, but in a special way: the first time we touch the sensor with a dry finger, the second time with a moistened one (not wet!). Alternatively, you can touch the wet sponge with the pad of your finger or simply lick your finger.

No matter how ridiculous this method looks, it works and works great - tested on Xiaomi smartphones.



Xiaomi's installation of fingerprint scanners on its models has become more commonplace than a symbol of an elite device. The fingerprint on Xiaomi Redmi 3s became one of the first signs that promoted this technology “to the people.”

Already, most of the new Xiaomi tablets can boast of having a high-precision scanner. For example, a slightly enlarged Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 or even a “half-tablet” Xiaomi Mi Max. The newest representative of the sixth line of Xiaomi Mi6 inherited and received an improved sensor hidden under glass on the front side of the phone.

Some budget models, like the Xiaomi Redmi 4A, do not have such a sensor at all, while the fairly recent Xiaomi Mi 5 often works intermittently and can disappear completely.

Let's look at the algorithm for adding a new fingerprint.

How to turn it on

Setting up a fingerprint on Xiaomi for the first time is as follows:

  1. Go to the “Settings” menu and select the “Lock screen and fingerprint” tab in the “System and device” list;
  2. Next, click on “Screen lock and fingerprint”. In the new open menu, pay attention to the lowest item in the window - “Add a fingerprint”;
  3. The system offers to set a graphic key in case the supplied fingerprint on the scanner does not work or the device partially fails;
  4. Repeatedly apply any finger (the same one) to the surface of the scanner of your smartphone. An animation with a circle filling and a slight vibration of the device will inform you about the success of each stage of the scan.
  5. If everything is done correctly, you will receive a notification about successful setup. Your device is ready. Additionally, you can install and select another fingerprint.

The location of the sensors will tell us how to make a scan more conveniently. For example, in Xiaomi Mi 5s the sensor is located in the back (by default for the index finger), and in Mi 6 it is in the front (for the thumb).

However, things don't always go so smoothly. It happens that in certain models, like Redmi 4X, there is no fingerprint menu in the settings or the phone does not respond to touches.

Possible problems

Xiaomi smartphones, like samples from other manufacturers, are not ideal. Some of them are subject to systematically occurring problems (namely, the Xiaomi fingerprint does not work) that many users experience.

There can be several possible glitches:

  • The fingerprint scanner works intermittently;
  • the saved sample is missing;
  • there is no response to pressing the sensor field;
  • The corresponding item in the settings menu has disappeared.

To independently eliminate these unpleasant phenomena in your smartphone, you need to perform the following actions:

  1. unlock it with the main screen pattern set during setup;
  2. completely discharge the device until it turns off automatically;
  3. charge the battery to 100%;
  4. wipe the touch area of ​​the sensor with a dry, clean cloth;
  5. start the smartphone (the sensor should work).

Often tactile recognition stops working on Xiaomi Mi 5, which is explained by shortcomings in the official firmware. If the phone still doesn’t find it or the menu disappears as if it never existed, you need to contact the Xiaomi service center. There, your phone will undergo a detailed analysis of the fault that has arisen, and, if necessary, repair or replacement of the part.

Nuances

Not in all cases, Xiaomi with a fingerprint scanner should be sent in for repair or “tormented” with firmware by yourself. New budget and flagship smartphone models have “raw” firmware at launch. The developers simply do not have time to eliminate all its shortcomings. Most often, the solution to such troubles is a new update. Thus, the operation of the fingerprint scanner on Mi 5s has been corrected.

A common reason for preventing fingerprint recognition on the lock screen can be a dirty or wet finger. Cuts and scars also negatively affect Xiaomi's screen locking ability.

Sometimes the problem is resolved by switching the language to English, then deleting the poorly recognized old scan sample and replacing it with a new one.

The last option is to disable the non-working scanner on your phone.

Removing a fingerprint

For the Xiaomi Mi and Redmi phone lines, creating a new scan sample is exactly the same as disabling the old one.

The removal process takes less than a minute:

  1. go to the “Screen lock and fingerprint” menu (the path to it is indicated in the second section of the article) and enter the password.
  2. By clicking on the “New password” item, we confirm deleting the scan on the smartphone.

After turning off the sensor, it will not respond to touches until the owner wants to set a new profile.

Touch ID is a unique fingerprint reading technology. It is equipped with such versions of Apple mobile gadgets 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.

Touch ID is definitely a good idea. 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. Like any electronic mechanism, Touch ID sometimes 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 rolling back a 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 on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S does not work. 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 more precisely, 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: reasons

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.

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, three generations of iPhones with a fingerprint sensor have been released. 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. It is protected from mechanical damage 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. The Touch ID sensor communicates 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, you cannot replace individual components to restore functionality, 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 is 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 will have to install a new motherboard and replace the Home button. However, the cost of such an operation is comparable to buying a new iPhone, which will need to be gutted.

After the release of iOS 9, many iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users whose devices underwent 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 over 200,000 views, indicating the scale of the problem.