Q: Touch ID being Erratic

Here's a thread I started Oct 14:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5446246?tstart=30

Also a better description Nov 11 in this thread.

I bought the 5S a few weeks ago and replaced it because the touch ID was working maybe 1 out of 4 times. The new phone worked consistently every time for the first few days. I was so excited and got a taste of how the phone is suppose to work! But after the first few days it started failing again. Now I'm back to where I started with the first phone. So annoying. I'm back to using the pass code...a lot faster and less annoying than the touch ID! Looking forward to a fix...hopefully! Love my phone once it's unlocked.

Thanks joe.  I've not had to use the pass code in about 24 hours so far.  This new in box replacement is so far so good. Not gonna get excited though. It has missed a few times but hey. It seems to act different than my last phone though. Will report back with more once I've used it for a few days. This new one was made in November so it's fresh.

kmpa43 wrote:

This new one was made in November so it's fresh.

First 2 digits of Serial?

Joe_Fo, what is unclear to me is why am I now getting almost 100% success with my right thumb (although having to place it with great precision) and 0% with my left thumb and index fingers, all of which were scanned per your instructions. Maybe I did not effectively scan my other fingers as I did the right thumb, although from the beginning, even before I rescanned with your instructions my right thumb gave me greater precision then my other fingers.

Given this, I wouldn't go so far as to say this is necessarily a hardware problem, I think you may be right with your assessment about how to scan fingerprints but combined with a software issue that causes less accuracy over time. WIth that being said I am not running back to the apple store for awhile, maybe a few months or more thinking that if its hardware any changes in the manufacturing process can take place.

on my 5th Iphone5s and the touch id works a day or two then stops

Spoke to an exec with Tim Cook's office finally and they said they are  aware and looking into the touch ID problem.

Not sure when if any fix will be forth with, so freaken frustrating once you use it, you want to us it more.

They are still saying it isn't a major problem but when Howars Stern complained about on his radio program they hear him, so lets see what happens.

I think they may push the Iphone 6 date up?

NYFred@aol.com

This was very helpful.  I am trying it out and hoping it works.  Do you think it is a hardware or software issue?

FWIW, I am of the opinion that it is a software issue, at least the one that impacts me specifically.

I get ~90% success rate. When it fails, it does so NOT with a "try again" but as if it doesn't sense the registered finger and eventually moves to "slide to unlock". HOWEVER, if I put a non-registered finger, it correctly provides the "try again" message. So clearly the hardware is sensing something.

It rejects incorrect prints from a non-registered finger, but struggles to fully accept a registered finger 10% of the time. It's as if there is a third option – accept, reject AND "not really sure".

When in the "not really sure" state, it never eventually accepts, but 100% of the time I can get it to work normally when invoking control center and opening and closing calculator.

Incidentally, and I didn't have the phone long enough to say for sure, I started to have issus after the update that added the slight pause before the "slide to unlock" message appeared. Originally, it appeared immediately. Certainly not diagnosing anything by saying so... just curious if anyone noticed the same thing.

Curious to hear what Howard Stern said...do you know what day he talked about it?

George Guerrero wrote:

 

When in the "not really sure" state, it never eventually accepts, but 100% of the time I can get it to work normally when invoking control center and opening and closing calculator.

My phone on 7.0.4 won't give me the control center on the password screen and trying it on the lock screen does not give  me entry.

nyfred wrote:

 

Spoke to an exec with Tim Cook's office finally and they said they are  aware and looking into the touch ID problem.

Coincidentally, I'm receiving a replacement today and will shp my broken one back tomorrow. If they're interested in getting their hands on some bad ones to disect, mine would be a good one. Do you have any way of finding out or suggestion on who I might call?

Control Center access from the lock screen is a user-selected option.

Goto Settings>Control Center and hit the toggle for Access on Lock Screen

According to website marksfriggin.com, a paraphrase from The Howard Stern Show on November 13: "Robin asked if Howard fixed his iPhone fingerprint scanner. Howard said he hates it. He said he put his thumb on it 3 times and it comes up and asks for the pass code. He said it never works for him. Robin said it works for her just fine. Howard said now it's slowing him down. He said he's going to disable it. He said he hates it. Howard said he has reset the phone 2 or 3 times and it still doesn't work."

Howard is a pretty big Apple fan and regularly sings their praises on his show. Maybe some Apple higher-ups are fans and heard his rant. Of course, consistent with the discourse on this thread, Howard's phone was problematic and Robin's worked fine. Go figure.

mrsnork wrote:

 

Howard's phone was problematic and Robin's worked fine. Go figure.

The survey on tuaws shows 60% ok and 40% are problems

George Guerrero wrote:

 

Goto Settings>Control Center and hit the toggle for Access on Lock Screen

I can access control center on the lock screen, but not the login screen, with the keyboard on the bottom. If I scroll back to the lock screen, popup the control, open the calculator, close it, it does not get me in. I used to be able to do it on 7.0.3, but seem to have lost the control center on the password screen on 7.0.4. I thought it was a bug fix.