Touch ID getting disabled every few days

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Level 1

5 points

Touch ID getting disabled every few days

I'm having a bit of a perplexing issue with my personal Mac Mini M2 Pro (2023) involving Touch ID with my Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Starting in early September when I was still on Ventura, I was prompted prompted to enter my password vs using Touch ID when attempting to upgrade the Zoom client, which was the first time I've had that occur. The first few times I entered my password and really didn't think much of it until the behavior continued over the next few weeks (with Zoom and other apps). I eventually discovered that rebooting my Mac "fixed" the issue in that I was prompted to use Touch ID vs entering my password but that only last a couple days at most before I was being prompted for my password again. With Sonoma on the horizon, I decided to wait until I upgraded to see if the behavior continued, which it unfortunately has. I've also since discovered that deleting all my fingerprints and re-adding them also resolved the issue but again only for a couple days or so.

Out of curiosity, earlier this week, I decided to configure my system to require Touch ID to unlock it. That change was working reliably until a day or two ago when I was then prompted to "Enter my PIN to re-enable Touch ID". I entered my PIN but it did not re-enable Touch ID. Only a reboot or deleting/re-creating my fingerprints would re-enable it.

Despite the behavior I was seeing, I have not encountered this issue when trying to use Touch ID to complete a payment using Apple Pay.

At this point, I am a bit stumped on what the underlying issue may be here. I've had this system since the spring and never encountered this until last month.

Does anyone have any idea what may be going on here / otherwise have any suggestions on other things I can try?

Thanks!

Mac mini, macOS 14.0

Posted on Oct 14, 2023 5:56 PM

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Answer 1

Owl-53

Level 10

107,221 points

Oct 15, 2023 7:07 AM in response to apobull

With the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID cabled Directly to the computer.

Switch OFF the keyboard from the Slider Switch on the Front Edge of the Keyboard

Pause and Switch the Keyboard back ON.

Does the functionality to Unlock the Touch ID process work ?

Does adding or removing a FingerPrint also work ?

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Answer 2

apobull Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 15, 2023 6:21 AM in response to chdsl

I thought I had tried the suggested step for the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID but it’s worth another try. If that doesn’t work, I will try swapping the keyboard I use for my work MacBook (temporarily at least) and see if that makes any difference - not sure why that didn’t come to mind earlier but it would certainly help determine if issue is with keyboard or something with Mac Mini since I am not seeing that issue with the Macbook

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Answer 3

Owl-53

Level 10

107,221 points

Oct 15, 2023 4:36 AM in response to chdsl

Have a slightly different " take " on this issue

FingerPrints that have been properly Registered in the Touch ID should survive an upGrade or an update.

Such does not appear to be the case as outlined earlier from macOS 13 Ventura to macOS 14 Sonoma

Yes, there may have been a iBridge update between the two operating system so removing and adding them back should resolve this issue.

That too does seem to be the case so far, sadly

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Answer 4

chdsl

Level 2

410 points

Oct 15, 2023 3:16 AM in response to apobull

I believe, this Enter your password to re-enable Touch ID in a certain while is a standard security feature in modern computers and phones, which also has Touch ID or Face ID. I've seen this in Samsung, Oppo phones, tablets, Windows laptops and also in the MBP and iPhone. I think this is quite normal. People usually tend to forget their password after some time, so maybe this will remind them that password/pin time to time.

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Answer 5

chdsl

Level 2

410 points

Oct 15, 2023 4:52 AM in response to Owl-53

Like I wrote, Samsung phones and tablets, Oppo phones, Windows Touch ID enabled Acer laptop, the MBP and the iPhone reminds me from time to time to write the password to allow, re-enable the Touch and/or Face ID. It is a good thing lest we forget our own password/pin. :)

All modern operating systems do that, Android and its derivatives, iOS and MacOS. Most probably iPadOS does that too. We don't own one yet.

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Answer 6

Owl-53

Level 10

107,221 points

Oct 15, 2023 4:54 AM in response to chdsl

Agree on remembering the Computer Password and not doubts about that 😎

As do I also agree that devices that have Facial Recognition 😎

Though, for the time being, Apple Computers do not have that Specific Feature >> Facial Recognition 😂

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Answer 7

apobull Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 15, 2023 5:51 AM in response to chdsl

Apple definitely requires you to periodically re-enter your password when using Touch and/or Face ID for obvious and good reasons. I believe it’s every 48 hours and/or 5 failed attempts though with former I think that timer may get reset each time you use it. I have no issue at all with this behavior. The issue (which I may not have been as clear about) is that re-entering my password or PIN does not re-enable Touch ID as it should be doing. If that was happening, there wouldn’t be any issue. Having to reboot or delete and re-add my fingerprints every couple days is definitely getting a bit frustrating. It seems like there’s a bug or something here that hopefully Apple resolves

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