It finally happened to me. I had been reading a web page in the Twitter app and let the screen lock. I was watching TV so it was about 10 minutes before I tried to use the phone again. When I tried to unlock the phone it didn't do anything -- like it wasn't even seeing that I had a finger touching it. Now I see what you're talking about.
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.
I think my Touch ID may be starting to fail
- Thread starter sclawis300
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It finally happened to me. I had been reading a web page in the Twitter app and let the screen lock. I was watching TV so it was about 10 minutes before I tried to use the phone again. When I tried to unlock the phone it didn't do anything -- like it wasn't even seeing that I had a finger touching it. Now I see what you're talking about.
I find if you add fingerprints it works great that day and then a few days later it takes a few attempts, then more then you have to re add them.
Don't believe all these humour posts that don't want to say anything bad about Apple.
Touch ID is far from perfect and very much beta. I still can't get use to using a fingerprint anyway plus its more convenient using a password.
Don't believe all these humour posts that don't want to say anything bad about Apple.
Touch ID is far from perfect and very much beta. I still can't get use to using a fingerprint anyway plus its more convenient using a password.
Have you taken your phone to an apple store? I have had no problems with the sensor - it works just as well today as when I got the phone. Honestly, the fingerprint sensor has spoiled me - I keep putting my finger on the home button of other electronics and wondering why they aren't unlocking. I did it today with my husband's samsung LoL!
Maybe. But every single time TouchID fails to work, after I Slide to Unlock and manually type in my passcode Twitter is the app that appears immediately thereafter. Never any other app. I also deleted Twitter for a few days and TouchID worked great. I reinstalled Twitter and TouchID failed. I have since deleted the official Twitter app and installed another twitter client "Twittelator Neue" and I will see if there are any issues (so far so good).
UPDATE: Since deleting the official Twitter app over 5 days ago I have not had a single TouchID failure.
I noticed that the official Twitter app was updated on Nov 21st to 5.13.1. Anyone that is having TouchID failures that was running the official Twitter app (and has updated it to the latest version) notice if the TouchID continues to fail?
I am going to install the latest version of Twitter and see what happens.
UPDATE: Within 30 minutes of installing Twitter 5.13.1, TouchID stopped working when I just tried my iPhone.
Twitter has to be the cause of at least my issue.
I noticed that the official Twitter app was updated on Nov 21st to 5.13.1. Anyone that is having TouchID failures that was running the official Twitter app (and has updated it to the latest version) notice if the TouchID continues to fail?
I am going to install the latest version of Twitter and see what happens.
UPDATE: Within 30 minutes of installing Twitter 5.13.1, TouchID stopped working when I just tried my iPhone.
Twitter has to be the cause of at least my issue.
Last edited:
I just registered on this forum for this thread only, because I can't find any other info on it on the web.
I seem to have exactly the same problem with Touch ID after I have installed Twitter, it seems. I have not used twitter since I got my new iPhone 5S, which I got at the start of November. No problems at all. Then slowly sometime in December the problems started to occur, where Touch ID wouldn't work in a way, that when I used an unregistered finger, it won't let me in by showing the image of 4 vibrating dots, but when I used a registered finger, it did nothing. So this means, that since it knows - in that moment - what finger not to get access, it most surely also must know the one(s) it has to give access - I presume - but does nothing.. As I haven't used the right fingers on the sensor at all, only the wrong/unregistered ones.
Also, sometime in December I installed and started using the official Twitter client, so I'm highly inclined to believe that this is (also for me) the one causing the issues. Also, there have to pass some time after someone locks the phone in the Twitter app (or maybe also Twitter running in the background), before it can fail in this way, otherwise, it works fine, if not enough time has passed.
Running iOS 7.0.2 (of fear upgrading and getting even more bugs
). This bug is also the only reason I haven't jailbreaked yet, so now - thanks to this thread - I will now try to install TweetBot, uninstall the official Twitter client, and see how it will go.
Also, I think that one of the reasons that makes this bug possible to happen with the official Twitter client is that tweets are an integrated part of iOS, and that, on a deep level and when the official Twitter client is installed, iOS registers its presence. If the bug goes away with the use of unofficial Twitter clients could be, that there is no longer an iOS connection to the twitter client in the same way. And when there is, like tweeting from Siri or Safari, it closes down after a tweet is sent. But I don't tweet, only read on it, so I have no idea how like Siri tweets or reads tweets, with an integrated client in iOS itself, even without any client being present, or a client have to be present, but only for cosmetics sake, and iOS still uses its own built in client, or if it actually uses some functionality due to the user installing a client. If I remember correctly, you have to have the official client installed for like tweet from Safari or Siri, but - of course - doesn't have to use it for client, and can just use a 3rd party one.
I seem to have exactly the same problem with Touch ID after I have installed Twitter, it seems. I have not used twitter since I got my new iPhone 5S, which I got at the start of November. No problems at all. Then slowly sometime in December the problems started to occur, where Touch ID wouldn't work in a way, that when I used an unregistered finger, it won't let me in by showing the image of 4 vibrating dots, but when I used a registered finger, it did nothing. So this means, that since it knows - in that moment - what finger not to get access, it most surely also must know the one(s) it has to give access - I presume - but does nothing.. As I haven't used the right fingers on the sensor at all, only the wrong/unregistered ones.
Also, sometime in December I installed and started using the official Twitter client, so I'm highly inclined to believe that this is (also for me) the one causing the issues. Also, there have to pass some time after someone locks the phone in the Twitter app (or maybe also Twitter running in the background), before it can fail in this way, otherwise, it works fine, if not enough time has passed.
Running iOS 7.0.2 (of fear upgrading and getting even more bugs
). This bug is also the only reason I haven't jailbreaked yet, so now - thanks to this thread - I will now try to install TweetBot, uninstall the official Twitter client, and see how it will go.Also, I think that one of the reasons that makes this bug possible to happen with the official Twitter client is that tweets are an integrated part of iOS, and that, on a deep level and when the official Twitter client is installed, iOS registers its presence. If the bug goes away with the use of unofficial Twitter clients could be, that there is no longer an iOS connection to the twitter client in the same way. And when there is, like tweeting from Siri or Safari, it closes down after a tweet is sent. But I don't tweet, only read on it, so I have no idea how like Siri tweets or reads tweets, with an integrated client in iOS itself, even without any client being present, or a client have to be present, but only for cosmetics sake, and iOS still uses its own built in client, or if it actually uses some functionality due to the user installing a client. If I remember correctly, you have to have the official client installed for like tweet from Safari or Siri, but - of course - doesn't have to use it for client, and can just use a 3rd party one.
I heard from someone that this issue has beem fixed in one of the 7.1 beta that they were running. So I am just going to wait until 7.1 gets released.
I just tried this method Steve Gibson talked about and it seems to be working since I've done it...fingers crossed.
https://twitter.com/SGgrc/status/429294140564594690
https://twitter.com/SGgrc/status/429294140564594690
7.1 hopefully will address some of these issues
Keep in mind that at this point in time no fingerprint scanner works 100% of the time. Even in the workplace every fingerprint scanner I've seen always has an alpha- numerical way of entry. There are to many variables effecting people's hands Try some of the tips in this and the other threads on this topic
Keep in mind that at this point in time no fingerprint scanner works 100% of the time. Even in the workplace every fingerprint scanner I've seen always has an alpha- numerical way of entry. There are to many variables effecting people's hands Try some of the tips in this and the other threads on this topic
Last edited:
Thanks for the reply.. Its nice to know that it probably is fixed in 7.1.
I have now used Tweetbot instead of the official Twitter client for 10 days, and the TouchID has worked flawlessly, every time. So it is now obvious that the problem is/was with Twitter.
I have now used Tweetbot instead of the official Twitter client for 10 days, and the TouchID has worked flawlessly, every time. So it is now obvious that the problem is/was with Twitter.