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iPhone 6 Touch ID is useless

MyRomeo

MyRomeo

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 22, 2010
493
86
United Kingdom
Hi. I bought an iPhone 6 on launch weekend and overall I'm very pleased with it however I have terrible problems with touch id.

I set the phone up a new when I got it and it's on the latest software 8.0.2 but the touch id is terrible.I've registered a few fingers and even tried deleting them and doing it again but it still is useless.

I can successfully register fingers and unlock the phone maybe once or twice but then it's like the phone forgets them and I get the try again message until I end up having to enter my pin.

Anyone any advice? I came from an iPhone 5 so this is my first time with touch id.
 
Try having a friend register their prints and see if you see the same behavior -- maybe even try to register your prints to their phone. Goal is to see if it's your phone or your prints. :)

It could be as simple as you received a faulty device. A trip to an Apple store should get it sorted out.
 
MyRomeo said:
Hi. I bought an iPhone 6 on launch weekend and overall I'm very pleased with it however I have terrible problems with touch id.

I set the phone up a new when I got it and it's on the latest software 8.0.2 but the touch id is terrible.I've registered a few fingers and even tried deleting them and doing it again but it still is useless.

I can successfully register fingers and unlock the phone maybe once or twice but then it's like the phone forgets them and I get the try again message until I end up having to enter my pin.

Anyone any advice? I came from an iPhone 5 so this is my first time with touch id.
Click to expand...

Same here. Tempted to take it in but don't know how they can test if it's the phone or the prints.
 
MyRomeo said:
Hi. I bought an iPhone 6 on launch weekend and overall I'm very pleased with it however I have terrible problems with touch id.

I set the phone up a new when I got it and it's on the latest software 8.0.2 but the touch id is terrible.I've registered a few fingers and even tried deleting them and doing it again but it still is useless.

I can successfully register fingers and unlock the phone maybe once or twice but then it's like the phone forgets them and I get the try again message until I end up having to enter my pin.

Anyone any advice? I came from an iPhone 5 so this is my first time with touch id.
Click to expand...

Weird. I have no problems with my Touch ID. Maybe a device issue. As other poster said, take it to Apple.
 
Mine works perfect. Could be faulty touch ID. But first, try restoring your phone to factory settings, and set it up again. See if that works.
 
Touch ID on my 6 is leagues better than on my 5s. I haven't had it fail on me yet. My 5s sensor had a lot of trouble when I was at the gym or coming out of the shower along with other random failures. Really frustrating.
 
Mine works great. I notice if you have smears or smudges on the touch ID, it gives you problems..just wipe it with your shirt if that's the case and should be fine.

Also I went into fingerprint from settings..keep tapping on it (it turns grey) when it registers..try a bunch of different angles..I think that helps tremendously
 
MyRomeo said:
Hi. I bought an iPhone 6 on launch weekend and overall I'm very pleased with it however I have terrible problems with touch id.

I set the phone up a new when I got it and it's on the latest software 8.0.2 but the touch id is terrible.I've registered a few fingers and even tried deleting them and doing it again but it still is useless.

I can successfully register fingers and unlock the phone maybe once or twice but then it's like the phone forgets them and I get the try again message until I end up having to enter my pin.

Anyone any advice? I came from an iPhone 5 so this is my first time with touch id.
Click to expand...

No. It's not. Mine's yet to fail to read a print yet.

In all seriousness, you've set it up wrong.
 
Jordan921 said:
Got a 6plus and Touch ID works a lot better then it did on my 5S
Click to expand...

Same here... Touch ID has been improved upon.

----------
CooKieMoNs7eR said:
I had that problem with the 5S, not the 6+, it's actually improved a lot.
Click to expand...

Same! My 5S was super picky and I had to redo it a number of times. Also hated hands that had just been washed and dried. Doesn't seem to mind that now.

I think OP has a dud and needs a replacement.
 
OP, don't mean to be a downer to your thread but may I suggest you type a proper title next time? Saying the "iPhone 6 touch id is useless", when you're obviously just having problems with your device, does not represent your thread accurately.

Just my 2 cents. ;)

Oh, and the Touch ID works perfectly on my 6 Plus! It will sometimes fail (but rarely) if my finger is somewhat wet or at a weird angle. I suggest you register your fingers again and see what happens. Don't forget to follow the prompts on the screen...move your finger ever so slightly while registering to get all corners covered.
 
Last edited:
The 6 was a GREAT improvement over my 5S but it still fails one out of five times! That is enough where I no longer will use it. I have registered my thumb in three of the five registers and it still fails 1-2 times out of five.

Not going to return it as I do not think there is a thing wrong with my iPhone 6.
 
Definitely agree with the other that the 6 is way better than the 5S as far as the Touch ID. Haven't had any problems so far with it. 5S would fail to work after a day or two for me and then I would have to re-do the touch ID process.
 
MyRomeo said:
Hi. I bought an iPhone 6 on launch weekend and overall I'm very pleased with it however I have terrible problems with touch id.

I set the phone up a new when I got it and it's on the latest software 8.0.2 but the touch id is terrible.I've registered a few fingers and even tried deleting them and doing it again but it still is useless.

I can successfully register fingers and unlock the phone maybe once or twice but then it's like the phone forgets them and I get the try again message until I end up having to enter my pin.

Anyone any advice? I came from an iPhone 5 so this is my first time with touch id.
Click to expand...


people need to stop with these click bait titles.

A more apt title would be.

I don't know how to set up Touch ID, please help. ;)

I find it to be most awesome and rarely if ever dose my touch not register.

As a matter of fact I haven't had nor any one I know (all those I have shown how to set it up properly) any problems with it, since Apple patched it in iOS 7.0.2
 
I've used my touch ID hundreds of times in the last two weeks. I've had exactly one instance in which it failed to register, and that was when I was grabbing my phone in a rush with my left hand and my thumb wasn't all the way on the home button.

My 5s gave me quite a few problems early on, but then with learning and updates, it became a very rare occasion in which it would not register. The 6+ seems vastly improved over even the 5s for me.

But maybe I just have 'good' prints.
mathews_dontknow.gif
 
What's interesting is that with my main finger (right thumb), TouchID has been working flawlessly since I got my 6 Plus. But for some reason, it's stopped registering my right index finger completely, despite recognizing it before. I'll try deleting it and re-registering it.
 
MyRomeo said:
Hi. I bought an iPhone 6 on launch weekend and overall I'm very pleased with it however I have terrible problems with touch id.

I set the phone up a new when I got it and it's on the latest software 8.0.2 but the touch id is terrible.I've registered a few fingers and even tried deleting them and doing it again but it still is useless.

I can successfully register fingers and unlock the phone maybe once or twice but then it's like the phone forgets them and I get the try again message until I end up having to enter my pin.

Anyone any advice? I came from an iPhone 5 so this is my first time with touch id.
Click to expand...

It works for me without any issues...
 
MyRomeo said:
Hi. I bought an iPhone 6 on launch weekend and overall I'm very pleased with it however I have terrible problems with touch id.

I set the phone up a new when I got it and it's on the latest software 8.0.2 but the touch id is terrible.I've registered a few fingers and even tried deleting them and doing it again but it still is useless.

I can successfully register fingers and unlock the phone maybe once or twice but then it's like the phone forgets them and I get the try again message until I end up having to enter my pin.

Anyone any advice? I came from an iPhone 5 so this is my first time with touch id.
Click to expand...

Any update OP?
Have you reset it as many people suggested, and it's worked perfectly since?
 
I haven't reset the phone no, I've redone the finger prints again after reading a few suggestions on it and I'll see how it goes.
 
Just a thought, I hold and operate my phone in my left hand so unlock with my left thumb. I have a bit of metal in the tip of my thumb that had been there for over 10 years, any chance this is screwing with the touch id? I think it's right where the scanner would be reading
 
Got my 6 today and so far zero trouble. Phone unlocked on first try almost always. Only once it just didn't want to work, but I eventually realized that I didn't set that finger up for Touch ID.

Did set up my right thumb twice though because that's the finger I'm mostly using to unlock my phone and wanted to get "every angle".
 
MyRomeo said:
Just a thought, I hold and operate my phone in my left hand so unlock with my left thumb. I have a bit of metal in the tip of my thumb that had been there for over 10 years, any chance this is screwing with the touch id? I think it's right where the scanner would be reading
Click to expand...

Shouldn't do. Unless it moves..?
 
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