Touch ID and Apple Watch not unlocking MacBook Pro after macOS 26.3 update

neuroanatomist wrote:

Worth noting that another user reported the Touch ID part of this issue and that creating a new user account, logging into that then logging back into their main account fixed the problem. Worth a try.

I tried this today, and it worked, for both Touch ID and unlocking via Watch. Fortunately my practice is to always create an administrative account on Macs separate from my regular user account, so I didn't have to create an entirely new account. I just logged in to my Apple Account (née iCloud account) under that account, and then set up Touch ID and unlock via Apple Watch on that account. I verified I could unlock using both methods, then logged out and back in to my normal user account.

I verified that I am now able to unlock this computer both via Watch and via Touch ID (at least from the internal keyboard on my MBP; I'll have to see if the same is true from my external keyboard).

I'm hoping the same workaround is effective on my Mac Studio when I get home tonight. Two's a charm, right?

ericmurphysf wrote:

Given this happened to both my Macs, and immediately after updating to 26.3, it's hard to believe this problem is all that rare.

Well, 26.3 has been out for a few days and I see a handful of reports of this issue. Given the installed base of Tahoe (tens of millions of Macs) and Apple's ongoing effort to make updates automatic (an effort that I systematically resist), 26.3 is installed on millions of Macs by now. A handful out of millions seems pretty rare, to me.

Worth noting that another user reported the Touch ID part of this issue and that creating a new user account, logging into that then logging back into their main account fixed the problem. Worth a try.

See also:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256244768?sortBy=newest_first

Bugs can be reported to Apple here:

Feedback - macOS - Apple

What is ‘all the usual stuff’? Have you rebooted all devices? Deleted and re-added your fingerprints? Turned off then back on the unlock with Apple Watch setting? Signed out of your Apple account on the Mac then signed back in?

Touch ID and Apple Watch unlock are working fine for me on 26.3, on both of my 16” MacBook Pros.

By the way, “we” are users like you. If you want help from Apple, contact them.

Official Apple Support

I experienced exactly the same problem on two different Macs—an M2 Max MBP and an M1 Ultra Mac Studio. Touch ID and my Watch still work in apps, but neither works to unlock either Mac. It's not even an option on either system. As soon as I tap the keyboard or trackpad, the passcode field comes up, with no option to unlock using either method. Multiple restarts and restarting in safe mode have not helped, nor has re-authenticating with my Apple Account. Nor has restarting my Watch, power-cycling the Magic Keyboard, or deleting and re-adding a fingerprint.

Given this happened to both my Macs, and immediately after updating to 26.3, it's hard to believe this problem is all that rare.

Some of these problems are caused by your fingerprint sometimes not quite matching.

You can add up to three fingerprints to your user account (you can save up to five fingerprints on your Mac).

You can increase recognition dramatically by using the several fingerprints allowed, to store multiple instances of the SAME fingerprint. Then if any matches, you are in, and you don't care which one did the job.

Use Touch ID on Mac - Apple Support

I had the same problems - neither fingerprint nor my Apple watch would unlock my iMac after installing 26.3. I tried all kinds of variations of logging out, powering down, with fingerprint and watch unlock set to off and set to on and nothing worked over several days of trying.

I just tried the neuroanatomist suggestion (above) and that has finally worked. What a time-consuming mess! Why wasn't this fixed before 26.3 was rolled out?!

What fixed it last time?