Fingerprint sensor not responding on MacBook Air

I've noticed that to make fingerprint works it is necessary to touch by hand MacBook case in any place. If you touch sensor only by the finger, probably it cannot measure resistance of the finger correctly. Also if you are not touching the case of Macbook during fingerprint enrollment then it fails.

Same thing happened to me (and was driving me NUTS) but realized that touch ID won't register my fingerprint while plugged into the wall via magsafe charger (when charging via usb-c everything works fine). Apple Macbook Air M1 chip (circa end of 2022).

Hello everyone, I was having the same issue where my TouchID was not working on my MacBook Air. I tried to restart, update my IOS, cleaned my fingers, Touch ID button...called apple support and they pretty much went through the same questions/procedures that I had already done. I also deleted my original thumb fingerprint and tried to add it again but it didn't work. I also tried to add another finger but it wasn't picking up. Came across this thread, rested my right palm near the trackpad and added my thumb back in and it worked! it doesn't make any sense but it worked. So glad as I didn't want to go to the Apple Store and have them charge me so much money to fix the touchid button.

Please try this

Try using Touch ID after each step:

1. Make sure that you have the latest version of macOS.
2. Make sure that your fingers and the Touch ID sensor are clean and dry.* Use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe off any dirt or debris on the Touch ID sensor.
3. Your finger should cover the Touch ID sensor completely. While Touch ID is scanning, you shouldn't tap too quickly or move your finger around.
4. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings (or System Preferences), click Users & Groups, then click the lock  to make changes. Click Login Options, then make sure that Automatic login is off.
5. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings (or System Preferences), click Touch ID & Password, then turn on the setting to use Touch ID to unlock your Mac.
6. Try to add a different fingerprint. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings (Or System Preferences), click Touch ID & Password, then click Add Fingerprint.
7. For Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, turn your keyboard off and on, then connect your keyboard to your Mac with the USB to Lightning cable. After you turn Magic Keyboard off then on, Touch ID may be unavailable for up to 10 seconds.
8. Restart your Mac.

I Have tried everything to get my MacBook Pro M2 touch ID to work. What I did discover is that if I use the bottom of my palm (where my thumb is) and let it touch the area beside the trackpad, then touch the ID with my index finger - It works every time. Plus this worked for my wife's MacBook as well! Don't know why it works, it just does - every time. Hope it works for you too.

Yes!! omg this totally works. I was having the same problem - touchid worked maybe 1/3rd of the time. Then I used your approach of resting my palm at the bottom of my thumb next to the trackpad, then use touchid, and it works EVERY TIME now. Magic.

"I have tried everything to get my MacBook Pro M2 touch ID to work. What I did discover is that if I use the bottom of my palm (where my thumb is) and let it touch the area beside the trackpad, then touch the ID with my index finger - It works every time. Plus this worked for my wife's MacBook as well! Don't know why it works, it just does - every time. Hope it works for you too."

This worked for me, but I found that cleaning the trackpad corrected the issue. Apparently, the trackpad collects dirt and body oils from your fingers which negates the touch ID. Wipe the trackpad clean and you should be good to go.

This is insane, I tried DaftBeast's suggestion and it worked! And then I realized my touch id was slow only recently when I've been using longer sleeves and the palm/wrist skin didn't touch the palm rest area, but when I pull the sleeve back a bit and make sure my palm is touching the palm rest, touch id is instant! Thank you!

Hey! I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’re having with your MacBook Air’s fingerprint sensor. Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Clean the Sensor and Your Finger: Ensure both the Touch ID sensor and your finger are clean and dry. Use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe the sensor
2. Update macOS: Make sure your MacBook is running the latest version of macOS. 
3. Reset the System Management Controller (SMC):

• • Shut down your MacBook.
  • Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release it.
  • Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn on your MacBook.

1. Re-enroll Your Fingerprints:

• • Go to System Settings > Touch ID & Password.
  • Delete any existing fingerprints.
  • Click Add Fingerprint and follow the on-screen instructions to re-enroll your fingerprints

1. Check for Hardware Issues: If none of the above steps work, there might be a hardware issue. You can contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider for further assistance.

I hope one of these solutions helps! If you need more detailed guidance on any of these steps, feel free to ask.

Thanks & Regards,

Basu

Me too, my hands are small & I couldn't reach with my index finger. However, I did what someone else suggested & unplugged the charger, I was then able to add other fingers without having to rest my palm on the trackpad. So bizarre why this suddenly started happening.

In my case the palm thing worked. Then I remembered that the charger was directly connected to the power outlet via USB-C, without the charging brick. I plugged the USB-C cord into the charging brick then plugged THAT into the plug, and it seems to be working for now. TL;DR: are you using your charging brick?

When you drag your finger across the deck of the MacBook, it kind of 'buzzes' under your finger. I have a feeling that we've got an grounding issue here.

This is also the reason why, if we touch the deck with our palm and reach over to the touchid button, it works every time - it closes the circuit.

@Daftbeast - you're far from daft, but a beastie you are!

Thank you - I was wracking my brains trying to figure out why something would just stop working!

So I also encountered this issue and found this thread.

The palm thing worked for me.

What also worked was simply pulling out the USB C lead that was charging the Mac. Now it's 100% working again.

This has started happening to me recently. However, I remembered I had also changed my power adapter: if I use Touch ID with my MacBook running on battery my finger is read from any position.

Well have you tried DaftBeast's solution?

Fingerprint sensor not responding on MacB… - Apple Community