Touch ID let 2 different people and 4 different fingers set up Touch ID. Why doesn’t the ID recognize all fingerprints are from different fingers and people?

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Level 1

8 points

Touch ID let 2 different people and 4 different fingers set up Touch ID. Why doesn’t the ID recognize all fingerprints are from different fingers and people?

I was curious to see if Touch ID would recognize that two different people and 4 different fingers were used to create 1 Touch ID.

I confirmed my curiousity. We set up my Touch ID with my thumb and my pointer finger and my daughters thumb and pointer. Now 4 different fingers from 2 different people can access my phone.. until I fix it anyway.

Now my question is, why doesn’t ID recognize that different fingers are being used? Shouldn’t it recognize the prints don’t match the last print?

Posted on Dec 22, 2017 4:21 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

IdrisSeabright

Community+ 2026

Level 10

188,871 points

Dec 22, 2017 5:52 PM in response to Louisedunn

Louisedunn wrote:

I was curious to see if Touch ID would recognize that two different people and 4 different fingers were used to create 1 Touch ID.

I confirmed my curiousity. We set up my Touch ID with my thumb and my pointer finger and my daughters thumb and pointer. Now 4 different fingers from 2 different people can access my phone.. until I fix it anyway.

Now my question is, why doesn’t ID recognize that different fingers are being used? Shouldn’t it recognize the prints don’t match the last print?

TouchID is designed to recognize up to five different fingers. I have both my thumbs and both index fingers registered.

All fingerprints are different. That means that each of your ten fingerprints is different. Your phone has no way of knowing if the different fingerprints come from the same people or different people. Some people find it convenient to let a spouse or child register a fingerprint on the phone.

To register a fingerprint, you have to give someone your passcode so, you have control over who gets to register a print.

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Answer 2

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Dec 22, 2017 5:47 PM in response to Louisedunn

No, because iOS is not a multiuser operating system.

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Answer 3

Louisedunn Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 22, 2017 7:48 PM in response to deggie

Just did it again.. deleted all my profiles. I used my fingerprint, my daughters and my granddaughters.. using only one profile... now three different people can access my phone using only one profile... pass the phone around each time the phone asks to lift then press down again.. everyone that touches becomes your one profile fingerprint.

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Answer 4

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Dec 22, 2017 7:34 PM in response to Louisedunn

Clear all the Touch IDs and try this: Alternate between you and your daughter to just set one Touch ID. Then see if it reads both of you.

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Answer 5

Louisedunn Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 22, 2017 6:45 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

I may have misunderstood your answer.. I apologize in advance if so.

To reiterate, I created “one” Touch ID using two of my fingers and 2 of my daughters fingers. So now we can both access my device using either my thumb or my index finger or her thumb or index finger only using one of the many Touch ID profiles. I also created a second Touch ID using my sons index and thumb and my index and thumb.. so now 8 different fingerprints and three different people were used to create only two Touch ID profiles.

You can use numerous prints to create 1 Touch ID profile. Seems like the Touch ID can be manipulated.

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Answer 6

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Dec 22, 2017 7:53 PM in response to Louisedunn

Then I would say your Touch ID is defective unless you all have identical fingerprints. It did not work when we tried it on an iPhone 8. Make a Genius Bar appointment and have your iPhone looked at.

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Answer 7

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Dec 22, 2017 7:10 PM in response to Louisedunn

So you are saying you have 6 Touch IDs? I don't think so. You can have 5 different Touch ID fingerprints at one time. I don't know what a false fingerprint is, are you saying one of your children have had surgery to manipulate theirs?

On my iPhone 7 Plus I had 4 different fingers on it and a close friend had the remaining slot in case I was incapacitated and they needed access to my phone. It is unique to the fingerprint.

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Answer 8

Louisedunn Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 22, 2017 7:30 PM in response to deggie

It’s possible I’m not explaining clearly. I have two touch id profiles. One of the ids are created using two different persons. One person used an index finger and a thumb print. The other person used the thumb and the index fingers as well. So... when the phone has you lift and then put your finger back to record the print in order to memorize your fingerprints to unlock the phone, my daughter and I switched fingers each time until the phone was satisfied with the fingerprints recorded. The Touch ID didn’t realize we had a different finger on the reader each time...

This switch each time allowed my phone to record all 4 different fingerprints as one. Now my thumb and my index finger can unlock my device as well as my daughters thumb and index finger using only one of the profiles. I did the same thing for the second profile, but instead of my daughters fingerprints I used my sons for profile number 2.

You should try it... it’s actually pretty cool.. yet disturbing at the same time.

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Answer 9

deggie

Level 10

167,537 points

Dec 22, 2017 7:41 PM in response to Louisedunn

No, you aren't listening. Try it with just one Touch ID entry combining you are your daughter and see if it reads both of you. Tried that after you started this thread and it only read one of us who tried it but not very well, i.e. if the angle was off it didn't work at all.

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