Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Dad's 86 and forgetting password, looking for TouchID accessory
- Thread starter mtbdudex
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
jz0309
macrumors P6
I assume you're talking about the login pwd??my dads 86 years old, .. he locked himself out by too many wrong pw attempts…
His current mac laptop does not have TouchID, has anyone seen a hardware piece for Touch ID?
Is there sensitive data on the laptop? if no, why not a simple pwd or no pwd? or does he take it to places?
TouchID does not work for everyone, and while my MBA has it, every 2 days or so it requires you to type in your pwd ...
Make it easy for him ...
velocityg4
macrumors 604
Not to horn in. If he can't remember passwords anymore. I hope you or someone is taking over is finances, bill payments and such.
If that's the case. Make him a standard user account and remove the password.
If his needs are really simple. Maybe just consider an iPad. Putting links to his most used sites on the home screen. Most elderly I deal with just have a couple websites they visit and email.
With the iPad he'll have Face ID or Touch ID. I think Face ID is easier. As a lot of elderly press to hard for Touch IS. Then you can set passwords in the Keychain. Setup banks and cards on apps.
Put all accounts on two factor authentication. With your device as the second factor. So if he's ever tricked to give a password. They can't get in. At worst he'll lose access to a bank account until you visit him and restore access.
There's also computers running custom Linux variants designed for the elderly. They offer a very simple set of features. They're just meant for web browsing, communicating, writing letters and such.
On Mac you can also use Simple Finder for a simplified interface. Plus setup parental controls to reduce problems for him. If you don't want to go the iPad route.
If that's the case. Make him a standard user account and remove the password.
If his needs are really simple. Maybe just consider an iPad. Putting links to his most used sites on the home screen. Most elderly I deal with just have a couple websites they visit and email.
With the iPad he'll have Face ID or Touch ID. I think Face ID is easier. As a lot of elderly press to hard for Touch IS. Then you can set passwords in the Keychain. Setup banks and cards on apps.
Put all accounts on two factor authentication. With your device as the second factor. So if he's ever tricked to give a password. They can't get in. At worst he'll lose access to a bank account until you visit him and restore access.
There's also computers running custom Linux variants designed for the elderly. They offer a very simple set of features. They're just meant for web browsing, communicating, writing letters and such.
On Mac you can also use Simple Finder for a simplified interface. Plus setup parental controls to reduce problems for him. If you don't want to go the iPad route.
Apple_Robert
Contributor
Given the subject matter, I would have a conversation with him about you taking over the role of admin for him, and making him a regular user. That way, he will have more safety as to what he does on the Mac and you can have more ability to prevent something bad from happening with personal information slipping out, or him forgetting a password again. I agree with the others on the password as far as making it something simple for him to remember.
Ok .. Question is topic A, reply is topic B… 
There’s more history not in OP, here goes:
My dads pretty decent cognition wise, he still handles his finances, has excel tracker cash inflow and outflow . Carries on conversations, etc. He has strategy to give away chunks of his savings among his 10 grandkids and us kids, yearly as bday gifts, anniversary gifts, grad gifts, etc.
There’s 4 adult children, we’re all 60 give or take. Do stuff helping dad.
One sister checks every 2-3 days his financial used websites .. as monitoring for weird stuff.
Brother handles taxes.
Other sister handles the doctors office visits.
All stuff involving dad is put into a shared calendar so we all know what’s happening.
I handle the Mac stuff, as I’ve only owned Mac’s since well 1984 the 128k …
Dad still drives daily for close local stuff, else one of us for further places.
So, dad uses his Mac laptop for finances, websites, and lotta photos. He loves taking and the SD card reader.
I’ve used FaceTime to virtually assist as I’m 90 minutes away.
I’m already the admin, he’s a user with controls applied.
Outside of this thread I searched and discovered there’s no way to get a Touch ID device.
Also, we tried the iPad route a few years back, dad likes a laptop.
There’s more history not in OP, here goes:
My dads pretty decent cognition wise, he still handles his finances, has excel tracker cash inflow and outflow . Carries on conversations, etc. He has strategy to give away chunks of his savings among his 10 grandkids and us kids, yearly as bday gifts, anniversary gifts, grad gifts, etc.
There’s 4 adult children, we’re all 60 give or take. Do stuff helping dad.
One sister checks every 2-3 days his financial used websites .. as monitoring for weird stuff.
Brother handles taxes.
Other sister handles the doctors office visits.
All stuff involving dad is put into a shared calendar so we all know what’s happening.
I handle the Mac stuff, as I’ve only owned Mac’s since well 1984 the 128k …
Dad still drives daily for close local stuff, else one of us for further places.
So, dad uses his Mac laptop for finances, websites, and lotta photos. He loves taking and the SD card reader.
I’ve used FaceTime to virtually assist as I’m 90 minutes away.
I’m already the admin, he’s a user with controls applied.
Outside of this thread I searched and discovered there’s no way to get a Touch ID device.
Also, we tried the iPad route a few years back, dad likes a laptop.
Last edited:
velocityg4
macrumors 604
Ok .. Question is topic A, reply is topic B…
There’s more history not in OP, here goes:
My dads pretty decent cognition wise, he still handles his finances, has excel tracker cash inflow and outflow . Carries on conversations, etc. He has strategy to give away chunks of his savings among his 10 grandkids and us kids, yearly as bday gifts, anniversary gifts, grad gifts, etc.
There’s 4 adult children, we’re all 60 give or take. Do stuff helping dad.
One sister checks every 2-3 days his financial used websites .. as monitoring for weird stuff.
Brother handles taxes.
Other sister handles the doctors office visits.
All stuff involving dad is put into a shared calendar so we all know what’s happening.
I handle the Mac stuff, as I’ve only owned Mac’s since well 1984 the 128k …
Dad still drives daily for close local stuff, else
So, dad uses his Mac laptop for finances, websites, and lotta photos. He loves taking and the SD card reader.
I’ve used FaceTime to virtually assist as I’m 90 minutes away.
I’m already the admin, he’s a user with controls applied.
Outside of this thread I searched and discovered there’s no way to get a Touch ID device.
Also, we tried the iPad route a few years back, dad likes a laptop.
Install a remote desktop option. One that's always set to allow remote access. Then if he has a problem you can always login remotely as the admin, reset his password, switch users to his account to see what he's seeing, &c.
I use Zoho Assist. It's paid but really cheap. It updates automatically. He doesn't need to know any credentials or anything. As his computer is linked to your Zoho account. If for some reason the app stopped working (it hasn't for any of my clients). You can e-mail him a support link that goes straight to a download. With the installer linked to your account already.
Your interface is browser based. So, you or a relative you give your login info to can connect to his computer from any computer via your account. There's also a desktop app option if you want to manage that way.
They also have an iPhone/iPad option. Which allows you to control his iPhone/iPad. It costs extra and I haven't messed with it. They even have a fancy camera option. Where you can look through the iPhone/iPad camera. Freeze frame and draw diagrams he can see.
You'd want the Standard Unattended Access option. Edit: Actually they have a free option which looks like it'll offer what you need. As it allows Mac Support, Unattended Access and a Desktop App.
Zoho Assist pricing | Free and affordable editions
Check out the plans and pricing of Zoho Assist, a free remote support and unattended access software, here.You can choose either Remote Support or Unattended Access or both.
I know some will support Teamviewer's free option here. But the update system is unreliable. You may try to login and find out you can't help because his version is out of date. The remote update option rarely works. On and on it goes. With their horrible update system. The least they could do is allow new versions work with old versions. Just not guarantee security.
100% agree and done. Dads got what we call the Rosetta password decoder, it’s his excel sheet for every website, and login, he uses different password. Thing is, he did not look at it, it’s printed and in his top drawer. His current laptop pw is a simple 4 digit one, which we simplified 7-8 years ago from a 2 name 2 date combo one.
Guess what, he for some reason used that older one…
Luv u dad forever!!!
Install a remote desktop option. One that's always set to allow remote access. Then if he has a problem you can always login remotely as the admin, reset his password, switch users to his account to see what he's seeing, &c.
I use Zoho Assist. It's paid but really cheap. It updates automatically. He doesn't need to know any credentials or anything. As his computer is linked to your Zoho account. If for some reason the app stopped working (it hasn't for any of my clients). You can e-mail him a support link that goes straight to a download. With the installer linked to your account already.
Your interface is browser based. So, you or a relative you give your login info to can connect to his computer from any computer via your account. There's also a desktop app option if you want to manage that way.
They also have an iPhone/iPad option. Which allows you to control his iPhone/iPad. It costs extra and I haven't messed with it. They even have a fancy camera option. Where you can look through the iPhone/iPad camera. Freeze frame and draw diagrams he can see.
You'd want the Standard Unattended Access option. Edit: Actually they have a free option which looks like it'll offer what you need. As it allows Mac Support, Unattended Access and a Desktop App.
Zoho Assist pricing | Free and affordable editions
Check out the plans and pricing of Zoho Assist, a free remote support and unattended access software, here.You can choose either Remote Support or Unattended Access or both.www.zoho.com
I know some will support Teamviewer's free option here. But the update system is unreliable. You may try to login and find out you can't help because his version is out of date. The remote update option rarely works. On and on it goes. With their horrible update system. The least they could do is allow new versions work with old versions. Just not guarantee security.
This!!!
I’ve used the Remote Desktop option years back, 5-6 years….
Time I looked into that again.
Truly TIA.
Last edited:
