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All iPads How well does Touch ID work?

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ptn2719

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 16, 2014
1
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I'm looking forward to getting my first iPad very soon and I have a question regarding the TouchID fingerprint sensor that comes with the new iPad Air 2. I have no experience with this, but I do have some rather unpleasant history with fingerprint sensors.

Some years ago, when I worked for a financial services company in Minneapolis, to get into the building every day, you had to (a) swipe your employee ID badge and (b) go through a fingerprint scan. While I never had a problem with my employee ID, the fingerprint scan was a hassle EVERY DAY. Some days I could go to every turnstile in the lobby and not ONE of those sensors would read my fingerprint! I was re-fingerprinted several times but the problem persisted until I was laid off. To be honest I don't miss that hassle every day! I was told that one reason why the fingerprint scan was a problem was that my had was too cold...hello, we were in Minnesota where it is winter 6 months of the year! Who decided this was a good idea? :rolleyes:

Anyway, since the iPad Air 2 has the TouchID fingerprint sensor, I'm wondering if this is going to be a repeat of the problem I used to have just getting into my workplace every day? Please tell me it won't be...
 
Not as good as I would like to see it work. 4 out of 5 times on my 6, a little better than my 5s. Still not good enough where I use it on my phone. I might use it on the Air 2 as it does get seperated from me and will be good security.
 
It works great for me. I set it up last year on the 5s and I've never had a problem with it and it works every time.
 
When I first got an iPhone 5s, it was a pretty sub-par experience. However, software improved it with time, and on my iPhone 6 Plus, it works virtually every time I try it. I honestly can't remember the last time I had to type in my pin code or iTunes password, other than after a reboot.
 
For my fingers, it almost never works. I don't know why. I'm even having difficulties storing the fingerprints. I have managed to fill all five slots (3 with my right hand thunb, 2 with left thumb), but it took a LOT of tries. I did it for like 5 days, over and over, sometimes spending half an hour to get just one fingerprint stored. I have a 5s.
 
Heh. I worked for that same financial services company in Minneapolis. Touch ID works MUCH better than the building entry scans. Those were such a pain. Touch ID is light years better.
 
Have 5s, I'd say at least 97% accurate. When it doesn't work, which is rare, I am annoyed.


It's an order of magnitude better than anything you'll find on a Samsung
 
It was rubbish and I stopped using it on my 5S BUT it's great and I love it on my 6 Plus! I want it on my iPad air as I keep trying already lol!
 
Not well enough for me to keep it on my iPhone.

Nothing drives me more crazy than trying to unlock my phone in a hurry and it won't read my fingerprint. I'll stick to swiping for now.
 
It works great on my 6. If not on the first try, then definitely on the second try. I have not had to type a password except after a reboot. I love this feature on the iPhone 6.

By comparison, my brother has an S5 and he disabled his scanner because it does not work one handed and even two handed does not work most of the time.
 
jpeg42 said:
I personally think typing four numbers is faster.
Click to expand...

I personally don't think four digit passwords are very secure. My iPhone password is long and difficult to type, but I almost never have to because of Touch ID.
 
TouchID works very well for me. I click and release the home button and then just leave my finger (usually a thumb) there, and the delay is very short, although it was not as good when I first got my 5s. As I understand it, TouchID will continue to refine its definition of your fingerprints as you use it more, improving recognition speed. It really only fails for me when I get sloppy and don't cover the button fully.

I like it so much I wasn't going to buy a new iPad without it. My credit card awaits midnight.
 
My first experience with Touch ID on the iPhone 5s was that I would sometimes have to touch my finger to it 2 times to get it to unlock but in /the last 6 months or so (not sure of the timing), it works the first time, every time on my 5s and on my new 6+. A coworker has an Android Galaxy and he said that because of the case he bought, (so not Galaxy/Andriod's fault), he can't use his fingerprint sensor. He also has an HP laptop that has fingerprint sensor but he said that didn't work too well. My laptop at work doesn't have a fingerprint sensor.

I didn't buy a new iPad last year because it didn't have the sensor. I think I like this feature more than most because it makes a big difference to me. I hate typing in the four-digit code to unlock dozens of times a day.

Bad enough I have to type in my password so often every day because I lock workstation every time I leave workstation.

----------
Robotti said:
For my fingers, it almost never works. I don't know why. I'm even having difficulties storing the fingerprints. I have managed to fill all five slots (3 with my right hand thunb, 2 with left thumb), but it took a LOT of tries. I did it for like 5 days, over and over, sometimes spending half an hour to get just one fingerprint stored. I have a 5s.
Click to expand...

Are you a safecracker who has sanded your fingerprints off? Sorry, just kidding.
 
It works fine with most of my fingers. Unfortunately, it barely works at all with my left thumb, and I'm left-handed, so that's what I'm using most often.

Also, it doesn't work at all if your hands have been in water for a while (i.e. after a shower, doing dishes, etc.) but I've never found hand temperature to be much of a differentiating factor.

I think it's just hit or miss with some people/fingers.
 
ptn2719 said:
I'm looking forward to getting my first iPad very soon and I have a question regarding the TouchID fingerprint sensor that comes with the new iPad Air 2. I have no experience with this, but I do have some rather unpleasant history with fingerprint sensors.

Some years ago, when I worked for a financial services company in Minneapolis, to get into the building every day, you had to (a) swipe your employee ID badge and (b) go through a fingerprint scan. While I never had a problem with my employee ID, the fingerprint scan was a hassle EVERY DAY. Some days I could go to every turnstile in the lobby and not ONE of those sensors would read my fingerprint! I was re-fingerprinted several times but the problem persisted until I was laid off. To be honest I don't miss that hassle every day! I was told that one reason why the fingerprint scan was a problem was that my had was too cold...hello, we were in Minnesota where it is winter 6 months of the year! Who decided this was a good idea? :rolleyes:

Anyway, since the iPad Air 2 has the TouchID fingerprint sensor, I'm wondering if this is going to be a repeat of the problem I used to have just getting into my workplace every day? Please tell me it won't be...
Click to expand...

Touch id on my iPhone 6 is amazing. I have had one (count em) 1 failure to open since I got it at launch. I use either thumb or either index finger.'
Take the time to set up each finger with multiple angles.
 
My first experience with it is my new 6. I skipped the 5s.
But it has worked flawlessly so far. I really like it a lot.

I think it had failed maybe twice. Could be my fault for not positioning my finger in a way that I did while 'learning'.

I did make sure I repositioned my thumb in as many ways as it would let me during the learning process. Supposedly for max accuracy. It seems to have worked well.
 
It works 100% of the time on my iPhone. I set it up for my right index finger and left thumb. The thumb is for one handed use. I usually use that one.
 
Works great for me, I entered both my thumbs so I can log in with either hand, is almost instant and rarely fails. In fact you don't even have to swipe, press the button to wake it up, leave you thumb there and the phone will activate in about 1 second. Or you can swipe, which takes you to a screen to either put your thumb/finger on the button or enter your password.
With my 4s I never even put a password in, didn't care for the hassle of doing that umteen times a day ,,, With this, that isn't a factor so at least I feel more secure insofar as if I lose it at least the finder won't be able to do anything with it.
 
I think "it depends." Peoples' fingerprints can be "good" or "bad" with some having them very defined and others not so much.

Mine works flawlessly. My wife's fingerprints aren't nearly as defined -- she had trouble when getting a passport one year and they couldn't get much other than a black blot when they took her prints.

So, I think it varies a lot based on your fingerprint.
 
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