MacBook keeps asking for password to enable touch ID

namdarfromberlin wrote:

My 2020 MacBook Pro keeps asking for my password to enable touch ID, sometimes even on a daily basis. What is the point of touch ID if I have to enter my password daily, weekly or even monthly. If touch ID is safe, don't hassle users with an additional required step that they can't opt out of. And if it's not safe, don't add the feature?! Instead of this half in between 'it's safe, but actually possibly not really after a while or maybe your fingerprints have changed etc. so please use password'. It's annoying and makes it seem like Apple isn't entirely sure about their own feature. A feature which btw. exists and works flawlessly on the iPhone, where somehow there i'm not asked to use passcode to unlock on a daily basis (the exceptions being during a restart, reboot etc.).

My question: What is the reason for this inconsistency between the Mac computers requiring password to enable touch ID on a very regular basis, and the iPhones not having this same approach to touch ID?

If Touch ID isn't working on your Mac

If Touch ID isn't working on your Mac - Apple Support

There are a few instances where Touch ID will not be accepted by macOS:

• If you restarted your Mac, or if you're not logged into your user account.

• If you have not unlocked your Mac for 48 hours.

• If you are trying to unlock Security & Privacy

• If you are trying to unlock Users & Groups Preferences (when FileVault is on)

• If 5 wrong fingerprint attempts

Use Touch ID on Mac

Use Touch ID on Mac - Apple Support