TouchID unresponsive on MacBook Pro M1

[bbplayer5]

Anyone having an issue with touchID not responding? It works when I first turn on the computer, but after a bit, it literally does nothing. I can't unlock the computer's screensaver with my finger or anything. Is there a fix?

Thanks.

 

[bbplayer5]

UPDATE: If anyone else had this problem. Rebooting does NOT fix the issue, shutting down the machine and powering it back on DOES. Haven't had the issue since! And might I say, the M1 is amazing, loving this machine!

 

[Quackers]

It might be a screensaver issue rather than a touch id issue.
There seem to be one or two screensaver/waking issues to be ironed out.

 

[ubercool]

No, I have experienced the same problem. Touch ID frequently doesn't work on my M1 MBP. Forced to use password more than I care to. 🙄

Wonder if anyone else has noticed this. I may have to swap my MBP.

 

[lemonkid]

Yes this is an annoying problem! I have the same issue! I thought it was the combination of a dry finger and touch id. But it works when I just gave in a new fingerprint profile. It generally keeps working until I put my computer to sleep for an extended period. Short sleeps do not affect it. But a few hours of sleep make me have to use a password.

I also tried to give in my finger print after deleting it and logging out and -in again. That did not solve it either. I expect this to be a software related issue. But I think I will register this problem with Apple in case I want to swap my laptop when it turns out to be hardware related.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yes this is an annoying problem! I have the same issue! I thought it was the combination of a dry finger and touch id. But it works when I just gave in a new fingerprint profile. It generally keeps working until I put my computer to sleep for an extended period. Short sleeps do not affect it. But a few hours of sleep make me have to use a password.

I also tried to give in my finger print after deleting it and logging out and -in again. That did not solve it either. I expect this to be a software related issue. But I think I will register this problem with Apple in case I want to swap my laptop when it turns out to be hardware related.

Good move contacting Apple. It does sound like a software problem that other Macs have had in the past, and subsequently corrected with a software update.

 

[lemonkid]

Good move contacting Apple. It does sound like a software problem that other Macs have had in the past, and subsequently corrected with a software update.

Yes I read about those problems and they indeed have similarities.

 

[lemonkid]

Even though at first this solution seemed to work, it now has become obsolete and does not resolve the problem!! (header added a few days later than the original post)

I believe that I got the solution. And it is a bug in the system software. I discovered that when I wanted to enable Touch ID in the apple shop I could not. Even though I had given in a finger in my computers system settings.
In the apple app shop etc, when managing your account, you can select an option to use Touch ID. Because you are already logged in you don't have to give in your password or Touch ID. You can simply select 'Yes'.

But then the apple app management settings, mentioned it could not do this because I first have to give in my Touch ID. That gave me the idea that for some reason my fingerprint was not saved.

On another thread on this form I found a link to the solution of this problem. And right at this moment my Touch ID is still working even after a night's sleep. So there is reason to believe in the future again.....

https://imgur.com/nyw4fNd

One has to have Quick User Switch enabled.
Systemsettings > Users and Groups > left lower corner of the dialogue screen > Login options > Menu for quick switch options.

After that please set touch id again.

 

[mrstucci]

I am having the same issue. TouchID worked great for a few days. I have had this machine for about 10 days and for the last 4 days or so TouchID doesn't work. I have enabled Quick User Switch to see if that helps. It doesn't seem to make a difference if it is a short sleep or a long sleep. Guess I need to contact Apple...

 

[lemonkid]

When at first I tried the 'Quick User Solution' it seemed to work. For a couple of days..... Now the id-touch issue is back to not working......
So still the same problem.

 

[lemonkid]

Ok on the phone with Apple here is what they told me to do.
1) Delete all fingerprints and reset the system manager.
After deleting the fingerprints in the system settings, shut down the computer by choosing shut down. Better not use the touch id button.
CLOSE the lid of your macbook. Wait ten seconds.

2) open the lid and after the computer restarts, don't login but choose shut down again. Not using id touch.

3) Wait 30 seconds (use a timer) the lid does not need to be closed this time.

4) After 30 seconds restart your computer by pressing the touch id button and holding it. When you see 'options' and your Mac Hard Disc, select your HD by clicking on it while pressing 'SHIFT'. It will now be able to start up in 'Safe Mode'. Log in to your computer and give in your fingerprint in the system settings.
When ready:

Restart your computer.

I believe that this is really working but I only know for sure after a day or three.

 

[gank41]

I usually keep my M1 MBP in clamshell mode in a dock, but have noticed when I bring it down to the couch or wherever that the Touch Bar itself freezes up along with Touch ID stopping working. I think that whole top strip runs it's own OS, right? I wonder if there's a memory overflow or some other kind of error causing the Touch Bar to crash, and then Touch ID stops working? I use BetterTouchTool and get semi-frequent notifications from BTT about a device continuously reconnecting but haven't been able;e to figure out what it is, ruling out as much as I can. Sometimes fixing one problem fixes a bunch of other things, too, you know? I filed Feedback in the app.

 

[lemonkid]

I usually keep my M1 MBP in clamshell mode in a dock, but have noticed when I bring it down to the couch or wherever that the Touch Bar itself freezes up along with Touch ID stopping working. I think that whole top strip runs it's own OS, right? I wonder if there's a memory overflow or some other kind of error causing the Touch Bar to crash, and then Touch ID stops working? I use BetterTouchTool and get semi-frequent notifications from BTT about a device continuously reconnecting but haven't been able;e to figure out what it is, ruling out as much as I can. Sometimes fixing one problem fixes a bunch of other things, too, you know? I filed Feedback in the app.

No touch id has nothing to do with the touch bar. I am also pretty sure that these two things at the top of your keyboard and on the same 'line' do not share the same memory. On intel machines the touch id even has it's own security-chip. So there is most likely no connection.

 

[gank41]

No touch id has nothing to do with the touch bar. I am also pretty sure that these two things at the top of your keyboard and on the same 'line' do not share the same memory. On intel machines the touch id even has it's own security-chip. So there is most likely no connection.

Taken from this article, "Apple introduced the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar on Thursday, and as part of the assembly, it contains a sapphire Touch ID sensor on the right hand side above the delete key. Touch ID by itself wouldn't be possible as Apple has implemented it on the iPhone without some sort of dedicated, secure chipset."

The Verge has something similar, also going back to late 2016...

:-/

 

[gank41]

No touch id has nothing to do with the touch bar. I am also pretty sure that these two things at the top of your keyboard and on the same 'line' do not share the same memory. On intel machines the touch id even has it's own security-chip. So there is most likely no connection.

https://twitter.com/x/status/791872723681239040

 

[lemonkid]

Taken from this article, "Apple introduced the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar on Thursday, and as part of the assembly, it contains a sapphire Touch ID sensor on the right hand side above the delete key. Touch ID by itself wouldn't be possible as Apple has implemented it on the iPhone without some sort of dedicated, secure chipset."

The Verge has something similar, also going back to late 2016...

:-/

Yes that 'talk' is really kinda gibberish to me don't you think? Because touch bar and touch id are twe separate things. Even tough integrated seemingly on the same what suddenly is called 'track bar' Maybe the writer may not really understand the matter. Touch bar is a display. Touch id is connected to a hiogh res camara, as far as my information tells me. This camera compares your fingerprint with the one that is stored. A proces that is encryped and I do not even know if it is true that the T chip handles AND the touch bar AND the touch id.

But my computer has no 'T' chip. It is a M1 and this article is about an Intel machine. I don't have an intel machine and this thread in which we post is not about intel machines. This article is 4 years OLD.......

And when you also have an M1 you should realise that articles from 4 years ago do not explain how a newly designed computer with an Apple Sillicon Chip works.

And up to this moment my problem has not yet returned I hope it stays that way. But to you I would say that computers usually do not freeze when you take them to the couch. Maybe they feel more comfotable there and simply fall asleep......

 

[gank41]

Yes that 'talk' is really kinda gibberish to me don't you think? Because touch bar and touch id are twe separate things. Even tough integrated seemingly on the same what suddenly is called 'track bar' Maybe the writer may not really understand the matter. Touch bar is a display. Touch id is connected to a hiogh res camara, as far as my information tells me. This camera compares your fingerprint with the one that is stored. A proces that is encryped and I do not even know if it is true that the T chip handles AND the touch bar AND the touch id.

But my computer has no 'T' chip. It is a M1 and this article is about an Intel machine. I don't have an intel machine and this thread in which we post is not about intel machines. This article is 4 years OLD.......

And when you also have an M1 you should realise that articles from 4 years ago do not explain how a newly designed computer with an Apple Sillicon Chip works.

And up to this moment my problem has not yet returned I hope it stays that way. But to you I would say that computers usually do not freeze when you take them to the couch. Maybe they feel more comfotable there and simply fall asleep......

It’s ok if you don’t understand or refuse not to, others might find the facts about hardware from 4+ years very useful in troubleshooting. Before Apple made their M1 SoC, they had to make all of the separate parts work together. So now that the M1 has no need for a separate chip to control the “track bar” as you put it (it’s called bridgeOS), you’d think it’s just not the same? Umm no. There’s still a separate OS that boots up and controls that Touch Bar (bridgeOS) and secures the rest of the OS boot process. This same Touch Bar is still integrated with the Touch ID sensor/power button, just as it was 4+ years ago. It’s just that the duties of the T1 chip are now being done by the SoC.

 

[lemonkid]

It’s ok if you don’t understand or refuse not to, others might find the facts about hardware from 4+ years very useful in troubleshooting. Before Apple made their M1 SoC, they had to make all of the separate parts work together. So now that the M1 has no need for a separate chip to control the “track bar” as you put it (it’s called bridgeOS), you’d think it’s just not the same? Umm no. There’s still a separate OS that boots up and controls that Touch Bar (bridgeOS) and secures the rest of the OS boot process. This same Touch Bar is still integrated with the Touch ID sensor/power button, just as it was 4+ years ago. It’s just that the duties of the T1 chip are now being done by the SoC.

I didn't call it a track bar. It is from the article you quoted. Where it is called touch bar with touch id that is a bit further in the article a track bar. And now you call it BridgeOs.

The fact that they are integrated like 4 years ago doesn't mean it still works the same. My screan is also integrated with my computer like it was 20 years ago. But that doesn't mean it still works the same.

Trash that horrible article. And for your freezing touch bar I would ask apple support.

 

[gank41]

I didn't call it a track bar. It is from the article you quoted. Where it is called touch bar with touch id that is a bit further in the article a track bar. And now you call it BridgeOs.

The fact that they are integrated like 4 years ago doesn't mean it still works the same. My screan is also integrated with my computer like it was 20 years ago. But that doesn't mean it still works the same.

Trash that horrible article. And for your freezing touch bar I would ask apple support.

All of the things you're suggesting, somewhat insistently, can all be found with a basic Google Search...

But, from a MacRumor's Article published a month ago:

M1 Security Features​

Intel Macs had a built-in T2 chip that handled security and other features on the Macs, but with the M1 chips, that functionality is built right in and a secondary chip isn't required.

The M1 has a built-in Secure Enclave that manages Touch ID and a storage controller with AES encryption hardware for SSD performance that's faster and more secure.


So, again: With M1 as opposed to Intel Macs, nothing's changed with the Touch Bar that runs BridgeOS (and also includes the TouchID power Button) other than there's no need for the T1 to control the Secure Enclave due to it being so tightly integrated into the M1's SoC. So, Same Touch Bar, same TouchID.
Sorry if this is bothering you so much, just trying to get the facts out there for anyone else that might also be having issues with their TouchID not working, as these things are all tied together regardless of how much you insist on saying they're not.

 

[gank41]

I didn't call it a track bar. It is from the article you quoted. Where it is called touch bar with touch id that is a bit further in the article a track bar. And now you call it BridgeOs.

The fact that they are integrated like 4 years ago doesn't mean it still works the same. My screan is also integrated with my computer like it was 20 years ago. But that doesn't mean it still works the same.

Trash that horrible article. And for your freezing touch bar I would ask apple support.

And then from iFixit about 2 months ago:
"Notably absent in this sea of silicon is the infamous T2 chip. For years building up to this 2020 M1 release, Apple has been offloading numerous tasks (especially security/encryption related things) from Intel’s processors to their own custom T2 chip. Those functions have come home inside the M1, which has a Secure Enclave and a host of built-in security features, just like recent A-series chips. Now that Apple handles so much of the Mac’s silicon in-house, we should probably expect this kind of consolidation to continue."


Also from iMore about 1½ months ago:
"Touch bar with integrated touch ID sensor
The Touch Bar also includes a Touch ID sensor on its right side, integrated into the Power button, which adds quick account switching and Apple Pay authorization to your Mac."


:-|

 

[lemonkid]

All of the things you're suggesting, somewhat insistently, can all be found with a basic Google Search...

But, from a MacRumor's Article published a month ago:

M1 Security Features​

Intel Macs had a built-in T2 chip that handled security and other features on the Macs, but with the M1 chips, that functionality is built right in and a secondary chip isn't required.

The M1 has a built-in Secure Enclave that manages Touch ID and a storage controller with AES encryption hardware for SSD performance that's faster and more secure.


So, again: With M1 as opposed to Intel Macs, nothing's changed with the Touch Bar that runs BridgeOS (and also includes the TouchID power Button) other than there's no need for the T1 to control the Secure Enclave due to it being so tightly integrated into the M1's SoC. So, Same Touch Bar, same TouchID.
Sorry if this is bothering you so much, just trying to get the facts out there for anyone else that might also be having issues with their TouchID not working, as these things are all tied together regardless of how much you insist on saying they're not.

Yes that article discribes what that already said. Your conclusion comes from a 4 years old article

 

[gank41]

Yes that article discribes what that already said. Your conclusion comes from a 4 years old article

It’s not my fault you’re unwilling to understand this. But for everyone else, the Touch ID button could be freezing due to BridgeOS crashing. Have a great day.

 

[lemonkid]

It’s not my fault you’re unwilling to understand this. But for everyone else, the Touch ID button could be freezing due to BridgeOS crashing. Have a great day.

To find the version of BridgeOs on a Intel T2 mac:

But if you have a M1 mac you may find something like this:

So no info on the BridgeOs which may humbly suggest that the BridgeOs was replaced by or integrated with Big Sur or something else on your M1 computer.

If you want to reinstall BridgeOs it is possible on an Intel Mac but not on a M1 Mac. Probably because it has what Apple calls 'Unified Memory' in which all processes are dealt with.

If you need to know how to reinstall BridgeOs you can ask. But this thread is ment to deal with Touch ID on the M1 mac. Not about BridgeOs on Intel Macs that have a different way of operation and may not have a seperate Os for the Touch Bar.

How the id touch information is stored and in what 'memory', I don't know. But the operation of the Touch Bar is accessible to every program. It can even change per application. And it seems highly unlikely that this is stored or handled the same way as the encrypted information of the Touch ID. Not impossible, but unlikely. Besides the Touch Bar is a display. the Touch ID isn't.

 

[lemonkid]

Oh
One More Thing:

Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies said this about it:

.......It also means that the T2 co-processor is gone now because that was always really just a version of the Apple A10 chipset handling all the things Intel just wasn't as good at. Literally, a short series of chips Apple had to make and run BridgeOS on — a variant of watchOS — just to handle everything Intel couldn't.

And all of that is now integrated into the M1. And the M1 has the latest generation of all those IP, from the Secure Enclave to the accelerator and controller blocks, and on and on. The scalable architecture means it'll almost certainly stay that way as well, with all the chipsets benefitting from the advances and investments in any of the chipsets......

from: https://www.imore.com/m1-apples-maniacal-focus-silicon-comes-mac

 

[hstanyan]

Ok on the phone with Apple here is what they told me to do.
1) Delete all fingerprints and reset the system manager.
After deleting the fingerprints in the system settings, shut down the computer by choosing shut down. Better not use the touch id button.
CLOSE the lid of your macbook. Wait ten seconds.

2) open the lid and after the computer restarts, don't login but choose shut down again. Not using id touch.

3) Wait 30 seconds (use a timer) the lid does not need to be closed this time.

4) After 30 seconds restart your computer by pressing the touch id button and holding it. When you see 'options' and your Mac Hard Disc, select your HD by clicking on it while pressing 'SHIFT'. It will now be able to start up in 'Safe Mode'. Log in to your computer and give in your fingerprint in the system settings.
When ready:

Restart your computer.

I believe that this is really working but I only know for sure after a day or three.

Did this end up definitively solving the issue? I have the same exact problem, still haven't solved it. Appreciate the update.