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ios 11.2.1 touch id iphone 6s plus not working

Updated to iOS 11.2.1. Touch ID on iphone 6s Plus no longer work. Anyone have the same issue? Please help. Thanks,

Posted on Dec 19, 2017 6:38 AM

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Posted on Dec 19, 2017 7:12 PM

Greetings wmok,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. It seems like you updated to iOS 11.2.1 and now you are having trouble with Touch ID. I would recommend you read this article and use it to help troubleshoot the issue.


  1. Make sure that your fingers and the Home button are clean and dry.* For the Home button, use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe off any dirt or debris.
  2. Your finger should cover the Home button completely, touching the surrounding metal ring. While Touch ID is scanning, you shouldn't tap too quickly or move your finger around.
  3. If you're using a case or screen protector, make sure it doesn't cover the Home button or the surrounding ring.
  4. Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and make sure that iPhone Unlock or iTunes & App Store is on, and that you've enrolled one or more fingerprints.
  5. Try enrolling a different finger.
  6. If you can't enroll any of your fingers, take your device to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, or contact Apple Support.

Get help with Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad


Take care.
47 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Dec 19, 2017 7:12 PM in response to wmok

Greetings wmok,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. It seems like you updated to iOS 11.2.1 and now you are having trouble with Touch ID. I would recommend you read this article and use it to help troubleshoot the issue.


  1. Make sure that your fingers and the Home button are clean and dry.* For the Home button, use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe off any dirt or debris.
  2. Your finger should cover the Home button completely, touching the surrounding metal ring. While Touch ID is scanning, you shouldn't tap too quickly or move your finger around.
  3. If you're using a case or screen protector, make sure it doesn't cover the Home button or the surrounding ring.
  4. Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and make sure that iPhone Unlock or iTunes & App Store is on, and that you've enrolled one or more fingerprints.
  5. Try enrolling a different finger.
  6. If you can't enroll any of your fingers, take your device to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, or contact Apple Support.

Get help with Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad


Take care.

Apr 8, 2018 9:56 PM in response to Dennis Clark1

You are of course entitled to an opinion, as all of us :-) But "hundreds" of people as compared to roughly 500 million iOS users are not that big of a number. In a past case where Apple did have a bug you've seen millions of comments in hours/days from that event.


Thus being said you didn't respond if the iPhone had some hardware replacement in a non official service?


Also did you try hard resetting your phone (backing it up before), set it up as a new one (not restoring from backup) and check a couple of days to see if the problem still happens? This might help you see if there is a problem within the backup (as some processes can get corrupted during backup - see also this topic on battery drain after iOS update Re: IOS 11.2.5 battery drain ) of it is a hardware issue.

Dec 25, 2017 9:27 PM in response to wmok

I have a brand new iPhone 8, and having this same problem following an iOS update on both my iPhone and iPad.


i’m also noticing more instances where the Apple devices just lock up and freeze, almost like in the bad Windows XP days.


This is the type of clunkiness that Steve Jobs would never have tolerated.


Apple, you need to get your software together if you want consumers to keep paying the Apple premium.

Dec 26, 2017 4:58 AM in response to CarlAVII

My home key has not been working since the update. It keeps warning me I am unable to use Touch ID and that it has failed. There is no option to reset finger prints the option is greyed out. The home key works fine once phone is unlocked but to try and unlock the phone it does not work and I have to keep switching my phone on and off. I have now had to take the keypad lock off temporarily. Will there be another update to sort this out? It’s clewrly a faulty update if so many people have been affected.

Dec 28, 2017 2:16 PM in response to wmok

Obviously I read what he said. I know how to update my finger print scans. The problem is that the reader on my phone wasn't working. Now it's working all of a sudden. I think it has to do with how much light is present? I'm not sure. Maybe my battery was low and that part of the device wasn't getting enough power? Either way, it's working now. I made sure some lights were on, and it started working.

Dec 29, 2017 5:49 AM in response to wmok

Hi there, I would love to know how you re-enrolled the fingerprint. Since the update the reenrol option has been greyed out on my phone 6s

Can anyone help with this? It looks like this latest update is causing many people issues.

I have tried lost of suggestion but when you go into the add fingerprint it is grayed out and will not let me do anything

please help, very frustrating

Dec 29, 2017 6:06 AM in response to CarlAVII

Hi there, I would love to know how you re-enrolled the fingerprint. Since the update the reenrol option has been greyed out on my phone 6s

Can anyone help with this? It looks like this latest update is causing many people issues.

I have tried what you have suggested along with a few other suggestions and none of them work, the fingerprint is grayed out so will not let me do anything

please help

thanks

Jan 1, 2018 1:02 AM in response to Mubii

I’m sure none of the Apple development engineers are reading this because they are preparing to charge a million users $29 to replace a battery that never had to be replaced if they would quit trying to create iOS code that makes Apple more revenue when it causes more problems then it fixes each time they have another release. At least let have way tech savvy users be able to back rev code that we know worked b4 we went to this crappy 11.2.1 code. I had 2 iPhone 6 pluses that we’re on 10.3.3 and we’re working fine, went to the newer code and might as well throw the devices away or go to a competitors device. I guess thats what Apple wants.

Jan 5, 2018 11:43 AM in response to CarlAVII

I know how to delete and add new fingerprints, point is, it worked fine before the update and now no matter how many times you delete & add it still tells you your passcode is needed to activate fingerprint, there are a few rare occasions when it does work. I currently have 6splus, iPad Pro and 2 older iPads my grandkids use, up until recently the thought of going android was off the table, but with the admission of Apple’s slowing speeds for “our” benefit I have been very hesitant to upgrade to the 10, if I switch one Apple product for another brand I will get rid of them all. Apple products are beginning to not be worth the price, they have fallen behind their competitors in every aspect, with the exception of the security and I wonder how long it will be before that has fallen too. Apple PLEASE get it together!

Not to impressed lately.

Jan 17, 2018 10:30 AM in response to wmok

Upgraded to 11.2.2 which has created problems with my iphone 6, which was was working great until this upgrade... New problems include:



- Phone is hot/overheating.

- The battery drains very rapidly.

- Touch ID stopped working (looped into "FAILED" message from both settings & set-up (failed (unable to complete touch id setup. please go back and try again).



I spent nearly an hour with apple rep troubleshooting. Did recommended complete restore (reset/erase/set up as new/ restore) & restarted phone multiple times. I also ordered a new battery, which should be at the store in a week or so (which may solve one problem)...



Tips? Suggestions? Or, I guess the next step is the genius bar...

Jan 21, 2018 7:34 AM in response to wmok

I’ve been postponing the latest upadate for the longest time due to the issues everyone has been noticing. Next day after installing the new software the home button stopped working, and a day later the fingerprint passcode stopped working. I need to unlock my phone using the Assistant Touchscreen. I can’t reset ANYTHING in this phone. SO FRUSTRATING!

Apple, please fix your bugs!

ios 11.2.1 touch id iphone 6s plus not working

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