Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Touch ID - works 'sometimes'...

Dunkrag

Dunkrag

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 9, 2007
123
46
Birmingham, UK
Hi- late '16 13'' MacBook Pro with touch bar here.

The Touch ID to wake function works 'sometimes' on my unit... is this normal or is it a take in to Apple job?

Basically when I try and wake the unit from sleep mode the Touch ID function works about 50% of the time- other times the prompt just isn't there and it doesn't work- have to put password in old skool style...

Software is upto date..
anyone else having this issue?
 
Sometimes my prompt isn't there on the touchbar. But the TouchID does still work.

Also fully updated macOS
 
So you're not saying the fingerprint reader fails to recognize your fingerprint when it asks for it, but that it often asks for the password instead. Yes, that's something others have had too. Don't know why that happens. It's supposed to happen when you restart from shutdown, but as far as I know it isn't supposed to happen after sleep.
 
On waking up, the prompt on my 15" only occasionally shows. As with Lihp8270 above, the TouchID still functions. Sometimes I am asked for my password as if I had restarted the laptop.

Hopefully one day, this and the many other glitches, will be sorted out in future update.
 
SilverVito said:
On waking up, the prompt on my 15" only occasionally shows. As with Lihp8270 above, the TouchID still functions. Sometimes I am asked for my password as if I had restarted the laptop.

Hopefully one day, this and the many other glitches, will be sorted out in future update.
Click to expand...

I believe this is a normal behaviour.
 
Mine has been working flawlessly, also if you look closely at the saffarire crystal from an angle you can see your fingerprint actually visible on the crystal.
 
Regarding the speed, I've noticed that I don't even need to wait for the screen to come on before the computer scans my fingerprint.

Meaning, when the computer is asleep (with the lid open, of course), I just hit the space bar and immediately put my finger on the reader, and boom, I'm ready to roll.

And having just now tested it with the lid closed it's not much slower that way either. So I have to say I'm quite impressed with the speed and functionality of it, and have yet to have any problems.
 
I wonder if it matters how long the machine has been sleeping. After three hours it enters a lower-power standby mode, and maybe that's when it requires the password after waking.
 
Sanpete said:
I wonder if it matters how long the machine has been sleeping. After three hours it enters a lower-power standby mode, and maybe that's when it requires the password after waking.
Click to expand...

I seldom shut mine down. On waking the next day, usually, no password required and no TouchID prompt either.
The missing TouchID prompt appears quite randomly with no set pattern, as does the password request.

On the positive side I also find the speed of the fingerprint sensor to be much faster than on my iPhone 6. It also seems to be a lot more forgiving on finger placement.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sanpete
MrGuder said:
That odd because mine seems faster than my 6s
Click to expand...
I mean in the mechanics of it. The touchbar takes your hands off where they normally do input. So you have to reach touch and place. Whereas, you type in your password quickly, your hands are in the position to move the mouse etc.
 
SilverVito said:
I seldom shut mine down. On waking the next day, usually, no password required and no TouchID prompt either.
The missing TouchID prompt appears quite randomly with no set pattern, as does the password request..
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on that, I also never do a shut down just put it to sleep and the next day it always prompts me for my Touch ID. Where is the security in your set up if it doesn't prompt you for anything after putting it to sleep?
[doublepost=1487019753][/doublepost]
- rob - said:
I mean in the mechanics of it. The touchbar takes your hands off where they normally do input. So you have to reach touch and place. Whereas, you type in your password quickly, your hands are in the position to move the mouse etc.
Click to expand...
I'm not getting it, I replied to your comment that was based on Touch ID not the touch bar. It's faster for me to put my finger on the ID plate than typing up my password.
 
MrGuder said:
Can you elaborate on that, I also never do a shut down just put it to sleep and the next day it always prompts me for my Touch ID. Where is the security in your set up if it doesn't prompt you for anything after putting it to sleep?
Click to expand...

It doesn't prompt me, it shows me my user profile and unless I use the unhighlighted Touch ID sensor, I would have to select my profile and then put in my password.
 
SilverVito said:
It doesn't prompt me, it shows me my user profile and unless I use the unhighlighted Touch ID sensor, I would have to select my profile and then put in my password.
Click to expand...
I don't think that is the way it's suppose to work. Mine highlights flashing arrow to use Touch ID
 
That's the way it used to work. Over time it has become more erratic.
 
Last edited:
Lihp8270 said:
Sometimes my prompt isn't there on the touchbar. But the TouchID does still work.

Also fully updated macOS
Click to expand...

Should have been a bit clearer - sometimes the prompt is not there and the fingerprint scanner doesn't work.. I don't think I've ever had the prompt not there but the scanner still working. It's either both works or neither does..
 
I don't have your issue, it does always work, but my issue is that it's sloooooow.

My Android phone is ready to use as soon as I touch the Fingerprint sensor,
but on Macbook 2016 15" it takes like 1.5-2 seconds for it to be ready.

Also I noticed, there is lag in iTunes when I switch albums (itunes graphically glitches and lags when closing albums and loading the song list of another album)
but my older Macbook Pro 2012 (Non-Retina) works without any kind of lag.

Both devices have the same settings and have been like this since I got my new Macbook (now on 10.12.3 still the same)
Even tried installing a fresh macOS when 10.12.2 was out and this this wasn't fixed,

It's not a huge issue, I can still do everything, but feels really bad when your old 2012 device is so much faster than your 2017 device :D

No Apple store here to get it checked :(
 
Last edited:
Dunkrag said:
Hi- late '16 13'' MacBook Pro with touch bar here.

The Touch ID to wake function works 'sometimes' on my unit... is this normal or is it a take in to Apple job?

Basically when I try and wake the unit from sleep mode the Touch ID function works about 50% of the time- other times the prompt just isn't there and it doesn't work- have to put password in old skool style...

Software is upto date..
anyone else having this issue?
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's not working or are you not trying it when the prompt isn't there? After the latest update (10.12.3?) I sometimes do not get the prompt for using TouchID when I wake the laptop, but it still always works if I put my finger on it.

I thought for a while it was related to the battery level since I thought it was happening more when I was under 90%, but I don't think that's it anymore since I've now seen it happening or not happening at varying power levels.
 
I'm seeing the same thing on 10.12.3 when I wake the MBP I'm not seeing the touchid prompt most of the time. It still unlocks with a fingerprint, though.
 
Works for me every time. Everything can be off, I just lay my finger on the Touch ID sensor, and computer wakes up and logs in.
 
Your right, I just woke my 2016 laptop from sleep from 12 hrs ago and it did not prompt me with the arrow to touch the square but I touched it anyway and it opened, so yeah no prompt but it still works fast if I use the Touch ID button.

I guess that's the way it''s suppose to work, no prompt just do it and it works.
 
MrGuder said:
Your right, I just woke my 2016 laptop from sleep from 12 hrs ago and it did not prompt me with the arrow to touch the square but I touched it anyway and it opened, so yeah no prompt but it still works fast if I use the Touch ID button.

I guess that's the way it''s suppose to work, no prompt just do it and it works.
Click to expand...

May I ask what do you mean by fast?

I just go to the bathroom and when I came back it was sleep (I set it to sleep in 3 Minutes), it took 2-3 seconds for it to show the arrow, and then another 2 seconds to be ready after I touched the Touch ID.

Does it also take 2 seconds for you to be ready after you touch it?

I have no problem with 2 seconds, just want to make sure it's okay.
 
macpot said:
May I ask what do you mean by fast?

I just go to the bathroom and when I came back it was sleep (I set it to sleep in 3 Minutes), it took 2-3 seconds for it to show the arrow, and then another 2 seconds to be ready after I touched the Touch ID.

Does it also take 2 seconds for you to be ready after you touch it?

I have no problem with 2 seconds, just want to make sure it's okay.
Click to expand...
By fast I mean milliseconds, when I didn't see any arrow flashing toward Touch ID I just put my finger on it and it opened in a millisecond. It's super fast.
 
  • Like
Reactions: macpot
MrGuder said:
By fast I mean milliseconds, when I didn't see any arrow flashing toward Touch ID I just put my finger on it and it opened in a millisecond. It's super fast.
Click to expand...

Thanks, so my Macbook is definitely too slow then :( dunno why, maybe because I enabled FileVault.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back