Touch ID forgets fingers after 12 hours of not being used

Question

Touch ID forgets fingers after 12 hours of not being used

So I got my parents a nice iPad Air 2 with cellular data, a great product. The three of us each added a finger and the Touch ID worked fantastically for several hours. However the next day it wouldn't remember neither my mom or dad. It did remember my thumb, but then that stopped working a couple hours later.

We have each added a finger several times. However the pattern is the same. The Touch ID forgets our fingers after about 12 to 24 hours of not being used.

My brother seems to have no problems with his iPhone 6s. His device is also running iOS 9.1.

I conjectured that maybe the problem was that Touch ID didn't like multiple people using the feature to unlock the same device.

Anyway.. now that I, exclusively, have been using my new iPad Pro (cellular) my theory is different.

The pattern is the same.. Touch ID works great immediately after adding a finger but the next day stops working.

My current theory is that it works better with phone than iPad because iPhone users tend to use their device more continuously than iPad users.

iPad users (at least myself and my parents) often let the iPad sit unused and locked for 12 to 48 hours..

I think Touch ID needs frequent use to continuously retrain itself to the "added fingers".

Perhaps, maybe iOS 9.1 is buggy with regard to Touch ID. Maybe a future update can fix this.

Or perhaps, just the cellular version of iPad exhibits this problem.

All things considered, I'm not discouraged with these products they are worth every penny.

FaceTime using iPad Air and Pro is an incredible experience.

I have submitted feedback to Apple: https://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

I encourage anyone else having problems to kindly direct their concern to the feedback page..

Do any of you iPad users have any great tips?

iPad Pro wifi, cellular-OTHER, iOS 9.1

Posted on Dec 6, 2015 10:45 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 23, 2017 3:07 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

I have an iPhone 6s, running the iOS 10.2.1.

The device has always recognized my two thumbs but seems to forget my left index finger after a while. (I don't care to try other fingers, because what s the point)

Kind of annoying considering the device allows several options.

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Answer 2

Brett L

Community Specialist

Dec 8, 2015 7:57 AM in response to Camino fan 2010

Hi Camino fan 2010,

If you are having an issue with Touch ID not working consistently on your iPad, use the steps in this article to troubleshoot - Use Touch ID on iPhone and iPad.

Specifically the section titled Get help with Touch ID.

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

Sincerely.

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Answer 3

Dec 9, 2015 10:38 PM in response to Brett L

Thanks for the link to the concise description of adding a finger. I think i have added my finger properly according to that description each time.

I just upgraded to iOS 9.2 on both devices the iPad pro and my parents iPad Air 2.

We each added a finger on the iPad Air 2.

I, exclusively, added a finger to my iPad pro.

Touch ID worked fantastically after initial setup. Tested it about 12 times using various angles and placements. Covered many rotations around the full 360 degrees at roughly 15 degrees apart.

I'll post back my experience of Touch ID using iOS 9.2.

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Answer 4

Dec 17, 2015 9:26 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

iOS 9.2 (iPad Pro) still consistently forgets my Thumb!!!

Within 1 or 2 days the same thumb that was working great at all those various rotations seems to be completely forgotten.

I even added the same thumb a second time and got the same results worked excellent for about 36 hours... Then unrecognized..

I am pleasantly surprised that Touch ID has remembered my Index Finger for about 4 days now.

Using my Index Finger to unlock the device doesn't feel as natural as using my (somewhat large) Thumb.

I'm now of the opinion that the "retraining" algorithm works better with a certain size of finger... It doesn't work well with large thumbs.

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Answer 5

Dec 17, 2015 9:41 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

Do you happen to be using a case or screen protector on any of the devices that covers the home button?

When you say that you tested all around in 15 degree increments, did you do that in setting it up, or just in testing afterwards?

If it helps at all, I will tell you that the TouchID on my iPhone 6 works great as long as I have not just gotten out of the shower! That's right, it works all day, every day for me except for when I have just gotten out of the shower. I'm assuming that it's because of changes in the moisture content of skin? Therefore, I assume that things like hand moisture content, lotions or soaps, or many other things can likely change the ability of the sensor to detect correctly.

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Answer 6

Dec 17, 2015 9:47 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

Are you certain that you are not powering off the devices at night (Slide to Power Off), or that you are actually signing in within 48 hours?

Either of those actions will require you to enter your lock screen passcode to sign in.

Also, if you reset or restore your device you will be required to enter your lock screen passcode.

Any chance it could be any of those things?

Cheers,

GB

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Answer 7

Dec 18, 2015 3:11 PM in response to gail from maine

Definitely neither of those scenarios.

iOS clearly indicates when those scenarios are applicable.

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Answer 8

Dec 18, 2015 3:39 PM in response to FishingAddict

No screen protector. I do cover it with the basic Smart Cover (white), and more recently with the iPad pro keyboard.. No cover on the back.

15 degree increment testing occurred immediately after setting it up. Not during.

Your comments about the shower are applicable here.. I suspected something along those lines.. So it should eventually start to work again but doesn't for me.

So it seems reasonable that you could add your thumb a second time after showering and that the device would have a post-shower thumb to match and also a regular-thumb to match. I added my thumb a second time when it stopped matching my first inputted thumb. Which was about 30 minutes after showering at the gym. I then did a set of rotation matches with my post-shower thumb and it matched perfectly that night and the next morning. It matched easily without any particular careful positioning. I did not delete the original regular-thumb that was originally added.

A couple days latter i was able to get a match once or twice but only barely, it rejected my thumb 3 or four times.. It finally got a match when my thumb was positioned just a certain way. I was able to recreate that match another time later the same day.. But now I can't match the thumb at all.

It is interesting that it continues to match my Index Finger, even after a shower, just not my Thumb. Well at least it made it four days whereas my thumb has been consistently forgotten after two days.

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Answer 9

morrispe

Level 4

1,224 points

Dec 18, 2015 4:54 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

I have an iPad Mini 4 with Touch ID and it works consistently and has never forgotten any of my registered finger prints.

Note that the iPad will require the passcode to unlock it after a restart and then should allow Touch ID after that. You may also see a notice that after 48hrs of non use the passcode is needed to unlock the iPad and this is an added security feature. There does seem to be a bug though and this will sometimes show up on my lock screen long before 48 hrs of not using the iPad. Lastly if you charge the iPad overnight and have enabled automatic updates you might find that the iPad has restarted during the night and will require the passcode to unlock it. Other than that Touch ID should be allowing you to unlock it with any registered fingerprint.

If you continue to have issues its possible their could be a problem with your device. If its still under warranty you could probably have it replaced at an Apple store. The issue you are having definitely isn't normal.

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Answer 10

Dec 18, 2015 7:26 PM in response to morrispe

Is your Mini 4 a cellular enabled version?

Have you tested with any other models?

I've experienced the issue with two different cellular enabled models (Pro and Air 2).

I don't think the hardware is defective since the devices work great for a certain limited time after registering the Thumb.

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Answer 11

Dec 18, 2015 10:48 PM in response to Brett L

I think I finally solved this mystery. Aim for the bullseye of your Thumb. Touch ID is going to forget the Tip.

The Apple Instructions seem to indicate that when adding a finger we should hold our finger over the Home button positioned as we would Normally press the Home button. I don't think that is the best approach.

When training a finger make sure to position your finger such that the central part of the fingerprint circular rings is included within the Home button ring. The center of those rings lets call it your "fingerprint bullseye".

Looking at my Thumb the "bullseye" of my fingerprint is about an 1 and a half inch below the tip of my thumb where I normally press the Home button.

I think Touch ID trains in toward the bullseye portion of the print and forgets the Tip where we "Normally" press the Home button.

My Thumbprint is being recognized tonight but only if I carefully touch the "bullseye" of my Thumbprint on the Home button. Touch ID was much more flexible with the positioning of my Thumb immediately after being registered. Initially I was able to unlock using the Tip of my Thumb.

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Answer 12

Dec 19, 2015 12:27 AM in response to Camino fan 2010

I have had this issue since I got my iPhone 6 Plus a year ago. I don't know if this applies to your parents and possibly you or not, but my problem is that I have Reynauds syndrome. Sounds serious but it just means that in the cold, and for me that means anything below about 65 degrees, the circulation in your finger tips greatly decreases. The tech in the fingerprint recognition takes more into account than just the print on the surface. So Touch ID does not work for me in the winter time. I can set it up and it works great initially, then, as for you, 12 hours or so later, it's gone. I think if it gets enough misses it just negates that print.

Unfortunately I got my phone last December so I had to wait until about June for TouchID to work. It was a glorious TouchID summer, but now it doesn't work again.

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Answer 13

Jan 6, 2016 10:43 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

A month later and the reader still recognizes the bullseye part of my thumb (1 and a half inch below the tip of my thumb).

I have added my thumb tip (the part of my thumb that I normally use to press the home button) several times and the tip is recognized great at first but then consistently forgotten 12 or 24 hours later.

So I'm quite certain that iOS remembers the bullseye part of the thumbprint very well, however, iOS is not so great at remembering the tip.

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Answer 14

Jan 6, 2016 10:44 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

A month later and the reader still recognizes the bullseye part of my thumb (1 and a half inch below the tip of my thumb).

I have added my thumb tip (the part of my thumb that I normally use to press the home button) several times and the tip is recognized great at first but then consistently forgotten 12 to 24 hours later.

So I'm quite certain that iOS remembers the bullseye part of the thumbprint very well, however, iOS is not so great at remembering the tip.

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Answer 15

Jan 8, 2016 7:38 PM in response to Camino fan 2010

Probably not enough information on the tip of the swirls to create a verifiable match. It may match randomly, but is not likely to give you the results you are looking for. As the Fingerprint recognition software indicates, the more information that is captured, the more likely you will be successful on a regular basis at using touch print ID.

Cheers,

GB

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