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Touch ID inconsistently works on 5s
- Thread starter andrewj
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Re-registered fingers again. Worked great for the first day or so. Now only works on fingers if they are in specific placements (typically perfectly horizontal against the phone, lightly touching the sensor). Fingertips, sides, etc. no longer register at all.
There has to be some hardware or software failure involved here. If this was purely a matter of bad fingers, there would be no temporal degradation involved the sensor wouldn't work great for a while and then suddenly stop detecting. Perhaps an issue with the fingerprint storage in the "enclave". Could be the "learning" mode is corrupting valid parts of its fingerprint data, something like that.
There has to be some hardware or software failure involved here. If this was purely a matter of bad fingers, there would be no temporal degradation involved the sensor wouldn't work great for a while and then suddenly stop detecting. Perhaps an issue with the fingerprint storage in the "enclave". Could be the "learning" mode is corrupting valid parts of its fingerprint data, something like that.
I would recommend chatting with applecare or genius, mines showed exponential digression in successfully reading my fingerprint to the point that it never worked. crash log showed that the process "biometric.." crashed. So it could be software/hardware that's failing.
Yeah I abandoned it too, shame i was happy to have this feature after losing a 4s and a 5 with no code on them.
I remember Apple saying that the silver bezel around the button is used to activate touch ID without having to press the button.
However I assume if the phone is sleeping you have to press the home button fully like normal (which in my case wakes and logs in automatically), the bezel deactivates when sleeping right?
However I assume if the phone is sleeping you have to press the home button fully like normal (which in my case wakes and logs in automatically), the bezel deactivates when sleeping right?
I'm still getting used to not entering a code. Fingerprint sensor works well for me. Failed on first attempts a few times but always managed to login without a password.
What doesn't feel right is having to press the home button and then tap the fingerprint reader (i.e. touch it twice). I thought the ring was there to sense whether your finger was present and would then log you in. Would be great if it worked that way (or is my phone faulty?)
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That's what I thought (looks like we were posting at the same time!) It doesn't feel quite right pressing the home button and then touching it again.
What doesn't feel right is having to press the home button and then tap the fingerprint reader (i.e. touch it twice). I thought the ring was there to sense whether your finger was present and would then log you in. Would be great if it worked that way (or is my phone faulty?)
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That's what I thought (looks like we were posting at the same time!) It doesn't feel quite right pressing the home button and then touching it again.
Working as intended. Quick click, hold, phone unlocked. Works great, and this is the way it should be, i.e. it reads a print only after you tell it to read a print after a click.
Also, for people having trouble with prints, they need to store their print in the same manner in which they try to unlock the phone. Also, try to store two prints.
If that is the case, why does it need the ring? I remember Apple (or a review) saying that it was to save battery so the sensor only came on when needed. Surely, the sensor could come on only when a passcode was needed (i.e. login and App purchases)?
Love Touch ID
Had my 5s since Friday.
Touch ID has surpassed my expectations, and I can't imagine not having it now.
Works correctly probably 97% of the time of the 3% that say try again, the second scan always registers correctly.
I would also echo the advice of scanning your main finger (thumb) twice. I scanned the flat base and also more towards the tip, as the occasional fail was when I was touching my thumb at a sharper angle rather than flat. Having the two thumb scans saved seems to be pretty much flawless. Also have index finger scanned, and the occasional time I've used this I would say it has never failed.
Personally Touch ID is a total win for me. Happy camper.
Had my 5s since Friday.
Touch ID has surpassed my expectations, and I can't imagine not having it now.
Works correctly probably 97% of the time of the 3% that say try again, the second scan always registers correctly.
I would also echo the advice of scanning your main finger (thumb) twice. I scanned the flat base and also more towards the tip, as the occasional fail was when I was touching my thumb at a sharper angle rather than flat. Having the two thumb scans saved seems to be pretty much flawless. Also have index finger scanned, and the occasional time I've used this I would say it has never failed.
Personally Touch ID is a total win for me. Happy camper.
Some may already know this but heres a neat little trick to test your fingerprints. If you go into the "fingerprint" menu under setting and touch the Touch ID sensor(dont push the down on the home button, just lay your finger on the snsor) itll highlight the programmed finger in the list. Good way to test out your fingers to see if they work.
Maybe if you do it over and over again itll "learn" the prints better?
BTW my left index and middle finger work 100% of the time. The success rate on my right thumb isnt as stellar(and i use the thumb the most to unlock...go figure) but after reprogramming the thumb a couple of times ive had better results.
Maybe if you do it over and over again itll "learn" the prints better?
BTW my left index and middle finger work 100% of the time. The success rate on my right thumb isnt as stellar(and i use the thumb the most to unlock...go figure) but after reprogramming the thumb a couple of times ive had better results.
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5 days in and TouchID is still very, very accurate for me. The only time it fails is if I am holding in a very weird angle that it doesn't know...a quick reposition to any more 'normal' position and it unlocks immediately. For almost all of the ways I press the button, it unlocks very quickly and seamlessly. I have both thumbs and both index fingers registered, since those are what I will use depending on whether I'm holding the phone, it's in my car dock, or sitting on the desk next to me. Works great.
No, this is not a "you're scanning it wrong" issue. Scans were working flawlessly the first few hours/day(s).
I think I have it working
There is a technique - at least their appeals to be. Before, I was tapping the home button (not enough to depress it but just tapping). Now after I push the home button, I keep my finger laying on the button. If it says try again, I lift it off but then lay it on again - no taps. It's worked from last night through 6pm ET today.
There is a technique - at least their appeals to be. Before, I was tapping the home button (not enough to depress it but just tapping). Now after I push the home button, I keep my finger laying on the button. If it says try again, I lift it off but then lay it on again - no taps. It's worked from last night through 6pm ET today.
You don't just leave the finger on the home button after pressing it? If you do it's one smooth motion, as if pressing the home button takes you straight in to the home screen. No need to lift the finger off the button and then putting it back down again.
Mine works fine. I have 3 fingers scanned (both thumbs and right index finger), it works like 99% of the time. The only time I have had issues is if I only put a small tip of my finger or when I had just got done eating chips and had crap on my fingers.
I see this also. But my left thumb doesn't have this issue, but any of the fingers on my right hand have this problem. Still trying to figure this out.
I have the same problem. Probably 50% of the time it either takes a few tries, or more than a second to recognize it. Other times it is instantaneous. Thinking about returning it for a 5C.
I've noticed a few more "misses" the last day or so. Perhaps 7.0.2 had some regressions. That said, there's no sense in turning the feature off. You can still enter in the passcode the old-fashioned way. I'm finding that it works about 2/3 of the time now. It is much more sensitive to the same part of my finger being scanned. I did a little experiment where I gradually moved my finger over a notch until it wouldn't register. I found the "sweet spot" where it consistently registers.
The fingerprint scanner works 0% of the time on the 5c.
Ha. Truth. I was excited about how the fingerprint scanner would save me a couple seconds while accessing my phone, but I've come to realize I don't actually mind touching in a 4 digit code, which I get right 95% of the time.
I have a 5s now and I say it's not BS. Mine has gotten better and better at scanning my finger which I didn't use much in the beginning.
Touch ID does not "learn on the fly". What's happening is you're learning to use it more consistently.