Touch ID being Erratic

I still get failures but it's a software issue. I know this because it fails with every registered finger. Here's a few things I have done to improve until Apple fixes it.

1) Register most used fingers like right thumb twice. To keep up with which one be sure to rename each scan/finger after you finish each one such as Right Thumb1 and Right Thumb2. Scan 1 beginning with fat/flat part of thumb and #2 start with tip of thumb. Obviously you only have 5 slots available but it helped me to store two scans of my right thumb.

2) even if you do #1 it will fail and when it does the only fix is to login with you passcode and it will recover on next lock.

3) I have also gotten more success when I press the home button is to maintain contact with the home button to let scan finish. Being a longtime iPhone user with passcode, I would press the home button, then lift my thumb then lay my thumb back on the button to let it scan. For some reason this seems to confuse the scan process causing more failures and it to bug out and go into full failure mode requiring passcode to recover. This is what's leading me to believe its software based and eventually fixable by Apple.

It's so nice not having to slide/swipe your finger to make it work like previous generations of print scanners. Granted, the technology will improve which means that there will be limitations in this first iteration (iPhone 5s) and those that will be disappointed with nothing less than perfection but that will always be the case. Apple will improve some of the early issues but some will remain and won't be refined until the next hardware version, i.e. iPhone 6. We can hope though.

My frustration level is rising by the day. Between the loud clicking and now, the lack of fingerprint recognition, I am tempted to return to my 4S.

I filed a warranty issue and appointment at the genious bar. I was issued a replacement. Hope this one will work out.

It's just going to crop up again. Do what I did. Get a warranty replacement. You will get a new one. So far, my replacement has been flawless. Works every time now. I only have 3 fingers scanned. Right Thumb, Left Thumb and R Index finger. All three work without the need to do specific ways of placing your finger prints. Hopefully for the ones sticking with the flaky units, Apple will do a replacement or somehow a firmware fix.

Message was edited by: SuperSizeIt

SuperSizeIt: For me a new unit did nothing to solve the problem--even when set up as a new phone and not from a previous backup. It worked fine until I loaded any apps onto it. Because it didn't seem to make any difference, I reverted to my most recent backup rather than lose years of data. Dreammachine1 is right, as far I can tell it's a combination of iOS 7 and third party apps causing crashes.

For what it's worth, I've had no issues for over a week, and the prints were registered over two weeks ago. I do have my right thumb in there twice, which does seem to help some with recognition, but I've only had the problem where Touch ID repeatedlty fails after a crash or low memory situation (or both). You'll see it in the diagnostic log of your device. Turning off background app refresh, location services and notifications for certain unstable apps and services has cut down on crashing immensely, and thus improved the stability of Touch ID.

Obviously, iOS 7 was designed to work with all these things turned on, so hopefully it's a temporary fix. I am fairly confident that the next iOS update or two (and updates to 3rd party apps) will improve things.

Hmm. I did restore from backup. So the phone is running exactly as the original. Same apps same settings. The only change is the hardware. Yes there is occasional crash logs, just like the first one, but TID continues to work flawlessly. It's finally able to unlock with one procedure. Press home, leave finger there and it instantly unlocks. I really think it's a hardware or Firmware issue for certain models or production run.

Yeah, I've got mine working the same as yours now and I'm satisfied with it. If you hold your thumb on the home button as you push it to wake it unlocks very quickly.

The problem in diagnosing these issues is that there are myriad diffrent app and settings combinations so it's unlikely any two users will have the same exact one. I don't think it's a hardware issue in 99% of the cases, but Apple will give you a new one if you come in complaining about Touch ID failing.

However, it is entirely possible that there could be corrupted firmware (which is different from the software). You can wipe and reload the firmware by putting the device in DFU mode (device firmware update). It's a little bit tricky to do, but you can search the web to learn how. Once you do that you are really dealing with a clean device, more so than just restoring it from iTunes which will only load the software again. That said, I really think it's the software.

I am now ready to smash this ****** 5S against a wall.

Now Touch ID fails after about an hour after having it set up yet once again for the umpteenth time for the two fingers I use most to open the phone.

It is now very unlikely that it is me who is not capable to use this correctly. There is something terribly wrong with this phone (or at least my phone), and Apple does not even seem to want to acknowledge this.

You have described my experience EXACTLY, Dreanmachine1! When first registered, the scanner works nearly every time. After a while, though, it doesn't work much at all. I've tried reprogramming as per Chas suggestions, so we'll see if that matters but I doubt it will fix the forgetful behavior... how could that be related to how your print is scanned?

I have another iPhone5s coming for my wife in a week- bet it behaves the same way, but time will tell.

I returned it, got a new one. Touch ID works the way it should now. :-)

bohicaIL wrote:

You have described my experience EXACTLY, Dreanmachine1! When first registered, the scanner works nearly every time. After a while, though, it doesn't work much at all. I've tried reprogramming as per Chas suggestions, so we'll see if that matters but I doubt it will fix the forgetful behavior... how could that be related to how your print is scanned?

Same here. When scanned, ... perfect. After a while (between a few hours and a few days) ... forgotten.

I have another iPhone5s coming for my wife in a week- bet it behaves the same way, but time will tell.

My wife also has a new 5s coming. We'll see.

I was so happy to get my 5s... in short I had issues with fingerprint scanning, I went through the process of: deleting fingerprints and rescanning, reset of iphone to manufacture settings, had a genius look into it....I had no choice but to return it and go back to my iphone 5.

bohicaIL wrote:

You have described my experience EXACTLY, Dreanmachine1! When first registered, the scanner works nearly every time. After a while, though, it doesn't work much at all. I've tried reprogramming as per Chas suggestions, so we'll see if that matters but I doubt it will fix the forgetful behavior... how could that be related to how your print is scanned?

I have another iPhone5s coming for my wife in a week- bet it behaves the same way, but time will tell.

I did rescan, per above, and it worked beautifully for a short while. But after a few hours, amnesia again.