Touch ID stopped working after Big Sur update

I followed another who had the same issue and posted to shut down the computer and immediately hold the power key for 10 seconds (the key that was used to make the fingerprint imprint). When I powered it up, the Option to use the fingerprint returned.

Resetting the SMC by shutting down MAC and holding the power button for 10 seconds resolved the issue for me as well. Then I went into settings and selected the option to open using fingerprint. When it asked for a password it worked this time.

Shut Down your Mac NOT USING the Apple menu from the upper left of the screen but PRESSING FOR AT LEAST TEN (10) SECONDS the shut down bottom in the keyboard. When you re-start your Mac the ID TOUCH feature should work properly and if you deleted your previous finger(s) or you want to add a New Finger go to System Preferences --> ID Touch and add the finger.

I hope the above helps!

Shutting down my computer, holding down a the power button/Touch ID pad for 10 full seconds, then pressing it to start up again - worked for me and reset the problem of not offering Touch ID option at startup and not responding to “add a finger” commands - all which occurred after the Big Sur 11.1 update.

I had the same problem! But mine got fixed I just held the touch button for some seconds till the screen got blank for a sec and then it got normal. It helped. I also shut down my Mac and held the touch button for 30 seconds!

This exact thing happened to me as well; you just have to turn your Mac off, then press the power button for 10 seconds, wait a few seconds and finally press the power button again.

After you've done that, try creating a new Touch ID.

After upgrading from Catalina to Big Sur, I found not only touch ID issue, also sound notifications from the messengers - Skype, Slack, MS teams doesn't work while there is wasn't changes in settings.

Hello, I'm having this issue too. I've shut down and restarted (after holding power button for 10 secs). I've also tried the SMC with no avail. I still need to enter my password; Touch ID is not working. Please help, Apple.

2018 MBP 13" Touch Bar has unusual fingerprint issue after upgrading to Big Sur. I can start the process of creating a fingerprint however when I get to the sequence where you finish the edges of the fingerprint it locks up. I've tried every remedy suggested without success. Also, I have not seen others complaining of this particular fingerprint problem. Anyone else have this problem?

I fixed this by going to System Preferences -> Touch ID: Uncheck the "Unlocking Your Mac" button. Browse out of that page and back in to make sure it applies. Then Recheck the "Unlocking Your Mac" button.

Works fine now.

I am on a MacBook Pro M1 and on this machine I have this trouble too. I tried all the solutions that are mentioned here and translated them to my M1. Because on this computer things work different, like resetting the smc is done automatically after shutdown and closing the lid of the computer for about 30 seconds.

But it does just not help. I also did a complete new installation after resetting the password in the terminal right after startup in the recovery mode. (holding down the power key while turning on the laptop brings your there on the M1). But that also did not help.

However.....

Immediately after installing Big Sur, it asks you to set it up. And I was in my obeying mode just doing that. Setting up Apple pay and the whole bunch. And everything worked fine. But then...... After restoring my account with TimeMachine to the freshly installed new system, all the problems came back! And Apple Pay said that it could not be activated because I changed the security settings of my system.

So I think that these problems that many have, find their origin in some security setting that has been introduced by Big Sur. On my M1 I did not change the security setting that you can change during (or before) installation. It was set, and I kept it there, at the highest security level. But that is somehow what is going on with all those mac's that won't no longer work after the update.

What I now want to try is do the whole installation again and quit the set-up immediately after the installation. And first restore my account before setting up touch-id and iCloud etc.

But I will do that only when I am in my 'recovery-mode-mood'. When that has set in and I know the result, I will post it here.

I tried these solutions (zapping the PRAM, SMC reset) and threw in a Big Sur 11.2.1 reinstall + reinstalling the 11.2.2 update. I could add/remove fingerprints but couldn't unlock the mac or authenticate to websites etc. Nothing seemed to work so after a day or so of scouring the Internet, gave up as I DON'T want to reinstall the OS from scratch.

Last night I happened to uninstall/reinstall Little Snitch and my Bitdefender antivirus - magically Touch ID started working 100% again. Probs a fluke but thought id share.

Cheers

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

I think you found the source of the problem. I have tried all of the above solutions, but without luck. Interestingly, I also have little snitch and Bitdefender. So, this might be the problem.

Best regards,

Aristotelis

I've done all the steps suggested here, plus the 7-second special key combo restart for my 2019 16" MBP, and not only does nothing here work but now my machine stalls in the halfway point of boot up for a few minutes. Make an appointment with the Apple store?? Eff that. How about Apple just fix this in their next update?

Re-install of Big Sour did not help.

However I CAN use touch-id and Apple Pay immediately after clean installation of the software. But as soon as I have restored my account with Migration Assistant the problem returns.

I tried:

1) Installation with iCloud (and touch-id) set up and then migrating.

2) installation with first migration and then set up of iCloud and touch-id

3) installation and trying to use TimeMachine to get my documents back. This won't let me bring back my documents and tells me to use Migration Assistant that then brings back the problem.

(smc reset does not work)

So the next Big Sour project will be backing up on usb drive without TimeMachine just by hand. And then reinstallation after which I will I have to restore my documents by hand. The fault will be in some library or what-ever that is copied from old system to new by Migration. (I guess..... )