pragers

Q: Touch ID

Touch ID no longer works on my iPhone 6 - I get this message: "unable to activate Touch ID on this iPhone".  This started about 3 weeks ago after I did a recommended update.  I have now updated to ios 10 and that hasn't fixed the issue.

iPhone 6s, iOS 10

Posted on Sep 15, 2016 10:48 AM

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Q: Touch ID

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  • Helpful answers

  • by chris_g1,

    chris_g1 chris_g1 Sep 16, 2016 9:10 AM in response to pragers
    Community Specialists
    Sep 16, 2016 9:10 AM in response to pragers
    Hello prayers, 

    Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Community. I know how important it is to keep your iPhones secure, and touch ID is a great way to do that. I'd like to help you get things working as expected again.

    If you have not already, it's a good idea to make a backup of your phone. If you are not familiar with how to make a a backup, have a look at this article : How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

    Afterwards, it may help to remove and re-add your fingerprints under Settings > Touch ID & Passcode. Tap on each fingerprint and select "Delete Fingerprint". Once you've deleted them all select "Add Fingerprint" and follow the prompts. 

    If you run into any trouble, or if the behavior persists, the whole community is here to help.
    Best regards
  • by pragers,

    pragers pragers Sep 16, 2016 3:10 PM in response to pragers
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 16, 2016 3:10 PM in response to pragers

    Thank you, Chris, for responding.  I already tried deleting my fingerprints, but now the option to recreate my fingerprints is also disabled.  It is inactive, I suppose is a better way of saying it, so I have no ability of adding my prints back.  Any thoughts?

  • by Ulexes138,

    Ulexes138 Ulexes138 Sep 16, 2016 4:03 PM in response to pragers
    Community Specialists
    Sep 16, 2016 4:03 PM in response to pragers
    Hello pragers, 

    At this point our next step would be to reset the settings on your phone. What this effectively does is reset some of your settings to factory default. This does not remove any data like apps, photos or contacts, but it removes all of your preferences for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, Notifications, General, Sounds, Touch ID, Brightness & Wallpaper and Privacy, so you may have to set those things back up after this reset.

    You may still wish to backup your settings data to iTunes or iCloud before doing this reset. This link will guide you through backing up if you choose to do so: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

    To reset please go to Settings >  General > Reset > Reset All Settings.

    Try to add the fingerprints again and if the behavior continues, please reach out to the community again. We'll do our best to help get things resolved.
    Cheers
  • by graham1121,

    graham1121 graham1121 Sep 17, 2016 11:59 AM in response to Ulexes138
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 17, 2016 11:59 AM in response to Ulexes138

    I'm having the same issue and unfortunately this method did not work either. I did a factory reset, too, and it would not let me set up Touch ID. Any time I shut the phone off and turn it on, a screen pops up (unprompted) saying "Unable to activate Touch ID." I appreciate any input. Thank you

  • by smashcraft,

    smashcraft smashcraft Sep 17, 2016 12:16 PM in response to pragers
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 17, 2016 12:16 PM in response to pragers

    Hi pragers and graham:

     

    I had the same exact problem about a month ago with my iPhone 6.  When I updated to a new IOS software version, touch ID quit working.  When I deleted my finger prints out and tried to re-add them, I was presented with a touch ID failed message.

     

    After trying all resets, I still could not get my phone to work.  I ended up having to take it to Apple where they replaced my phone.  I had AppleCare on my device, so I was extremely lucky.  When speaking with the Genius Bar, they had said that it was a hardware failure and not a software failure.  I'm not sure what triggered the device to stop working after the software update.

     

    I hope this helps.  I would schedule an appointment with the Genius Bar for them to troubleshoot for you. 

  • by graham1121,

    graham1121 graham1121 Sep 18, 2016 7:01 PM in response to smashcraft
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 18, 2016 7:01 PM in response to smashcraft

    Thank you  - definitely the case. Stinks that it was working fine prior to the update but then stopped working and will cost 129.99+tax to fix. I appreciate your response and saving me more time trying to troubleshoot alone!