Apple again breaks Touch ID for some iPhone and iPad users with iOS 9.1
A number of iPhone and iPad owners are reporting Touch ID fingerprint recognition and stability issues after updating to the latest version of iOS 9, problems similar to those that cropped up in iOS 8.
Judging from the multitude of entries on Apple's Support Communities forum, more than a few device owners have experienced iOS 9.1 Touch ID issues since the update was released two weeks ago.
Affected users report unreliable Touch ID fingerprint recognition, slow response times and in some cases a complete failure to activate.
Some have found a hard reset temporarily fixes the issue, but problems return after continued use. Others have performed factory resets and full restores through iTunes, though a permanent solution has yet to be discovered.
For those impacted by buggy Touch ID software the difficulties get worse, as Apple recently stopped code signing for iOS 9.0.2. This means users are unable to downgrade their device to a working OS, leaving them stuck until Apple addresses the problem.
Apple is currently beta testing iOS 9.2, the second public version of which was released on Wednesday, but it's not clear that the update includes a fix for the recent spate of Touch ID troubles. According Forbes, who has been in contact with Apple regarding the Touch ID situation over the past few days, company representatives have no official comment on the matter.
This is not the first time that an iOS update introduced bugs to the Touch ID system. When iOS 8.0.1 launched last year, early downloaders immediately complained of non-functional Touch ID modules. A subsequent iOS 8.3 update saw similar fingerprint recognition problems for App Store purchases.
Judging from the multitude of entries on Apple's Support Communities forum, more than a few device owners have experienced iOS 9.1 Touch ID issues since the update was released two weeks ago.
Affected users report unreliable Touch ID fingerprint recognition, slow response times and in some cases a complete failure to activate.
Some have found a hard reset temporarily fixes the issue, but problems return after continued use. Others have performed factory resets and full restores through iTunes, though a permanent solution has yet to be discovered.
For those impacted by buggy Touch ID software the difficulties get worse, as Apple recently stopped code signing for iOS 9.0.2. This means users are unable to downgrade their device to a working OS, leaving them stuck until Apple addresses the problem.
Apple is currently beta testing iOS 9.2, the second public version of which was released on Wednesday, but it's not clear that the update includes a fix for the recent spate of Touch ID troubles. According Forbes, who has been in contact with Apple regarding the Touch ID situation over the past few days, company representatives have no official comment on the matter.
This is not the first time that an iOS update introduced bugs to the Touch ID system. When iOS 8.0.1 launched last year, early downloaders immediately complained of non-functional Touch ID modules. A subsequent iOS 8.3 update saw similar fingerprint recognition problems for App Store purchases.
Comments
We have 250 devices with no reported issues at the moment.
No. This is not an issue.
My 6s Plus has been working great. Touch ID is super fast, and hasn't error'd yet.
weird wonder what they all have in common.
on my (6s) no problems whatsoever.. as a matter of fact, most of the time I unlock the phone when I just want to wake it so I can see the audio controls.
i have to retrain my thumb to only hit half the button.
The word "some" is an anti-journalistic word and should be banned; it's called a weasel word for a reason. It's generally information free with loads of insinuation though...
I'm make my own headline
"Some Android phones are total pieces of shit"
Yes, true, but.... What the hell does that really mean. 1, 40%, all of them.
Is being a piece of crap and absolute, or a relative eval?
I'll even something even more outrageous
"Some SS were good decent fellow".
Here you got the double wammy of a "Some" + a morally relative term like "decent"; I win a door prize".
What the hell info would that express exactly!
Well, that's thing I see now all over the god damn net.
The kind of click baity absolute nonsense titles.
They use the "Some Apple users have "bag of vaguely related issue which may or may not be issues at all...". ALL THE TIME
Some is only good in a casual context, not an informative context!
No issues here that I've noticed.
The only time that I have to sometimes repeat a Touch ID login, are when my fingers aren't 100% dry, such as after exiting a shower. The solution of course is to have dry hands and fingers before using Touch ID.
The actual issue is just the opposite. TouchID works too well. It is super-fast, meaning that, if I need to check the notifications, I have to either use a non-registered finger, or use the power button on the side.
This is on the 6S Plus though.
iPad Air 2 user checking in...
In a live performance environment, where I must put it to sleep (darkened stage), then wake it on cue with TouchId... no problems at all on the latest iOS. Happens well inside 1.5 seconds (including the zoom effect), every time.