Touch ID useless?

[Voley]

I have this issue, when I log out a user (without restarting), the system always asks my password. I remember when I just got my MBP it only required password after restart. But now I can't use my Touch ID to login with any user.

I have two users on my Mac and each has different fingerprint locked and Touch ID enabled.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[flyinmac]

You're beta testing the new MacBook Pro.

Personally, I would never enable fingerprint checking on a machine that holds as much critical data as my computer does. I can't take the risk that a glitch would keep me from getting into the machine.

But without having your model, best I could suggest would be to look for a setting in the security and user profile / login areas, and see if you can adjust the behavior.

 

[sunapple]

You're beta testing the new MacBook Pro.

Personally, I would never enable fingerprint checking on a machine that holds as much critical data as my computer does. I can't take the risk that a glitch would keep me from getting into the machine.

You can always use your password to log in, which eliminates the risk that a TouchID glitch would keep you from getting into your machine.

I guess if you can't log in with TouchID after a restart, switching users on the MacBook Pro has the same behavior for those same security reasons. Not sure though, I just use one users account on mine.

 

[Voley]

Personally, I would never enable fingerprint checking on a machine that holds as much critical data as my computer does. I can't take the risk that a glitch would keep me from getting into the machine.

You don't seem to understand how this works. You can use Touch ID or password, it is never only fingerprint.

 

[mcnallym]

Presumably Touch ID works on the mac as does on the iPad/iPhone.

If haven't used the iPad/iPhone for a while then says I need to use my Passcode to enable my Touch ID.

If not switching a user, then does the Touch ID work to unlock the Mac.

I don't think you are doing anything wrong.

 

[maflynn]

I remember when I just got my MBP it only required password after restart.

If you logged out, it will ask for a password, or in your case using your TouchID. You can enter either one, but since you logged out OS X will prompt for authentication. It would be a seriously huge security hole to not prompt for a user's password upon logging in

 

[Voley]

If you logged out, it will ask for a password, or in your case using your TouchID. You can enter either one, but since you logged out OS X will prompt for authentication. It would be a seriously huge security hole to not prompt for a user's password upon logging in

My problem is that I can't use Touch ID, if I try, it says Macbook requires password, and won't let me use Touch ID at all.

 

[coolbreeze]

If you have an Apple Watch, TouchID is rendered virtually useless. I'm glad it's now a thing, but continuing to get the password prompt too often is aggravating.

Installing older software requires a typed password, while newer software prompts for TouchID. Guess developers need to specifically use the TouchID computer API? Not sure.

 

[tCC_]

O maybe my info will add some:

Yesterday, when trying to unlock on the lock screen, I couldn't click anywhere and got a black screen (touch bar was still working tho, could even press play and Spotify began to play in the background/locked session).

After a reset (holding down the touch id sensor/button) my learned touch id finger was gone, had to learn a first finger again within system prefs - touch id.

 

[Balaamsdonkey]

If you logged out, it will ask for a password, or in your case using your TouchID. You can enter either one, but since you logged out OS X will prompt for authentication. It would be a seriously huge security hole to not prompt for a user's password upon logging in

These two statements seem to contradict each other. Are you distinguishing between putting the machine to sleep and logging out?

 

[jerryk]

O maybe my info will add some:

Yesterday, when trying to unlock on the lock screen, I couldn't click anywhere and got a black screen (touch bar was still working tho, could even press play and Spotify began to play in the background/locked session).

After a reset (holding down the touch id sensor/button) my learned touch id finger was gone, had to learn a first finger again within system prefs - touch id.

The touch bar is essentially an Apple Watch running a dedicated T1 processor and performing security validation and icon display. So the Mac can be hung and the touch bar will keep working. Sounds like whatever you did wiped the memory of the touch bar or at least made the OS think the memory could not be trusted.

 

[colinwil]

I have this issue, when I log out a user (without restarting), the system always asks my password. I remember when I just got my MBP it only required password after restart. But now I can't use my Touch ID to login with any user.

I have two users on my Mac and each has different fingerprint locked and Touch ID enabled.

What am I doing wrong?

It seems to be working how it's meant to. If you log out, it requires you to type in your password, vs. if you just put it to sleep you can unlock it with Touch ID.

I guess almost no one with a MacBook Pro normally logs off - they just close the lid when they're done, because most people just have one account at least on a laptop. It must be frustrating.

 

[Macalway]

I'm entering my password more than the touch ID, (which is the point of this thread).

 

[ascender]

Its crazy some of the places you still have to enter your password instead of using TouchID. Surely Keychain and approving family purchases in iTunes are two of the most obvious places they'd have added support for this first?

 

[Antairez]

Logging in requires actual password. TouchID can be used to unlock your mac, that means the mac is logged in and locked.

 

[Tensakun]

The great 1Password app has announced support for TouchID, which is actually making me lean farther toward pulling the trigger on a TB MBP. Wonder if other apps and functions will adopt it, such as for locking and unlocking encrypting .zip files?

 

[symphara]

TouchID is not useless - it works when the laptop comes back from sleep, and sometimes it works when an application tries to do something privileged (although this is clearly inconsistent as I am much more frequently asked for the password).

But I concur that TouchID support to Keychain would be great. I'd also like it for 'sudo', that would be a nice touch. Don't really understand why it's so underutilized.