• What is touch ID on iPhone? If Touch ID does not work on iPhone or iPad: how to deal with the problem

    Touch ID has become a truly revolutionary technology for all iPhone lines. From the moment the technology was first presented at the presentation, unlocking the device has become not only safe, but also as convenient as possible. There are a huge number of uses for Touch ID besides unlocking the gadget. In this article we will tell you what Touch ID is, how it works and where it is used.

    Touch ID is a fingerprint scanner used in the iPhone and other Apple devices. First time Apple company added it to the iPhone 5S in 2013. Since then, for 5 years, this technology has been actively used in iPhones, iPads and even MacBooks.

    Touch ID allows you to unlock your device with just a touch of a special surface. IN mobile devices ah, this is the “Home” button, on MacBooks it’s a key.

    After its introduction, Touch ID quickly gained great popularity, because you no longer need to enter long passwords to unlock your smartphone for a couple of seconds. They put their finger on it and in a moment the device is available for use.

    How Touch ID works and how it works

    On at the moment There are two generations of Touch ID. They differ in the speed of data reading and therefore faster unlocking. The second generation began to be built in starting with the iPhone 6S, and the unlocking speed is really faster there.

    The Touch ID sensor is built into the Home button and covered with sapphire crystal. This allows you to reliably protect the scanner from minor mechanical damage. The built-in sensor scans the fingertip and recognizes the pattern on it. In addition, it does not matter at all at what angle you place your finger: from above, from below, from the side - the device can be easily unlocked. You can add multiple fingers at once to unlock the device with either hand.

    What is Touch ID for?

    Touch ID provides multi-processor security and speeds up authentication. As we have already said, the first and main task is to unlock the device. You set a passcode and configure the fingerprint scanner. When it is not possible to use Touch ID (wet hands, etc.), simply enter the password. Touch ID helps with pay as you go Apple Pay. When you want to pay in a store with using iPhone, you need to press the “Home” button twice to start Apple app Pay, and Touch ID verified that you are the one making the purchase. If yes, the payment will go through. If not, it will generate an error.

    Further, Touch ID is used in App Store. The first time you're about to purchase an app (paid or free, it doesn't matter), your iPhone will ask you to place your finger on the Home button to confirm the action. When you delete an application or game and then install it, you will not need to scan your finger.

    The last common use of Touch ID is logging into apps. Usually these are banking services, access to which is undesirable for unauthorized persons. When entering such applications, the system asks you to enter a password or use Touch ID. The second option, as we have already seen, is much more convenient.

    In addition, Touch ID allows you to confirm actions with iCloud. The most common usage scenario is that you want to view all saved passwords for websites - you confirm the action with a fingerprint scanner.

    How to set up Touch ID

    For best effect and to avoid further inconvenience, make sure that your hands are clean and the button itself is not “stained” with anything. Go to Touch ID & Passcode settings and enter your password. Click Add Fingerprint. Next, lightly touch the “Home” button with one finger.

    The system will need several such touches to completely read your finger pattern. Each time, change the position of your finger a little - the picture will show which area has already been scanned and which requires additional touches. Once everything is ready, the system will report success. Likewise, you can add a new fingerprint or use only one.

    We recommend indicating the names of the prints if there are several of them. Because later, when you notice that the system does not recognize the index finger well, it will be quite difficult to immediately understand which fingerprint to change.

    They told me how to use the new one iOS function 11.

    Why Apple added the feature to disable Touch ID

    Apple once again decided to worry about the safety of its users. Function quick shutdown Touch ID gives owners iPhone opportunity protect your smartphones as much as possible if they fall into various emergency situations. By blocking Touch ID, the user will prevent an attacker from gaining access to iPhone by placing the owners' fingers on the scanner. Of course (and fortunately), such situations rarely arise, but Apple decided to provide for the actions of its customers in them.

    Another reason for the appearance of the Quick Disable Touch ID feature on the iPhone is due to Apple's desire to protect its users from law enforcement agencies. There have been several cases over the past year in which police officers have literally forced suspects to give up access to their iPhones by scanning their fingerprints.

    The most high-profile of these cases occurred in February. A Norwegian resident suspected of committing a crime was required to unlock his iPhone using Touch ID. According to the court ruling, fingerprint locking of smartphones was recognized as unprotected by the country's constitution. This means that upon request of the police, any iPhone user is required to remove the lock from their Touch ID-protected smartphone.

    Note: This feature only works on iPhones running iOS control 11 or newer software versions.

    To disable Touch ID on your iPhone, you need to quickly press the Power button five times in a row. Successful completion of the operation will display a screen asking you to turn off your iPhone or make an emergency call. At the same time, the function blocks the operation of Touch ID, indicating that to activate the fingerprint scanner you need to enter a passcode. In this case, you can only unlock your iPhone using a password. A similar limitation applies to iOS 11 and previous versions operating system installed after every iPhone reboot.

    You do not need to make any special settings to enable the function. Moreover, these same settings are not provided in iOS. In the menu " Settings» → « Emergency call- SOS» users can only activate the auto call option emergency services when you press the “Power” button five times and configure contacts in case of emergency. Recent contacts will receive notification messages if you call emergency services.

    Touch ID is a fingerprint scanner that was developed by Apple and is used on the company's smartphones and tablets, including: iPhone 5, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, etc.

    Why is it needed? Touch ID is mainly used to unlock a smartphone or tablet. Previously, you used a password and PIN to unlock, but now you just need to put your finger on the fingerprint scanner, as shown in the image below:

    However, Touch ID is needed for other purposes as well. For example, you can use it to pay for purchases, including in a regular store, thanks to the Apple Pay payment system. The idea is this: you link a bank card (or several) to your iPhone, come to the store, choose a product, when paying at the checkout, take out your smartphone, bring it to the payment terminal and put your finger on the fingerprint scanner, after which you pay for the product. It's even more convenient than using a physical by bank card— payment occurs instantly. True, not all stores yet support Apple Pay, as well as the banks with which the system works, but in the future everything will change for the better.

    What does Touch ID look like?

    It's easy to guess that Touch ID is integrated into Home button, which, by the way, starting with the iPhone 7, is not physical, but has become touch sensitive.

    Touch ID Security

    The built-in sensor scans the fingertip using special resolution and recognizes the finger pattern, even if it is at different angles. The fingerprint image is located in a special zone of the processor, which is protected. Moreover, what is interesting is that this is not an image of the fingerprint itself, but its mathematical image, from which, according to Apple, the fingerprint itself cannot be restored.

    It is also stated that each individual Touch ID scanner is tied to a separate processor, that is, if the fingerprint scanner is moved from one iPhone to another, it will lose its functionality.

    Rumors appear on the Internet every now and then that fingerprints are not only stored on the device, but are also transferred to a separate server. Of course, Apple does not confirm such rumors, and no evidence was provided for this.

    About the global benefits of Touch ID

    Those users who follow the release of new mobile devices probably know that many companies are not averse to borrowing ideas from the same Apple. Touch ID is no exception.

    The idea of ​​using a fingerprint scanner on a smartphone is not new, but it was with the advent of Touch ID that scanners became widespread. If before we only saw them on flagship smartphones, then today scanners are used even on budget devices!

    Here is an example of a device, the cost of which at the time of writing is only 5-7 thousand rubles, and it is already equipped with a fingerprint scanner. True, this smartphone has a scanner located on the back of the case:

    Called DOOGEE smartphone X5 Max.

    What password can be called the most reliable and at the same time constantly accessible to the owner of the equipment? Fingerprint. IN new development Touch ID uses a fingerprint sensor as a means of identification. This method allows you to quickly connect to another Apple device and at the same time be confident in the security of the stored data.

    Of course, the question immediately arises: Touch ID - what is it? The device itself, the technology or, in general, the phone model? Apple Touch ID is a technology that involves the use of a sensor that recognizes the user's unique fingerprint pattern. The unlocking process is simple: just place your finger on the Home button. The installed sensor reads the received data from absolutely any angle and in any way the iPad is positioned.

    button iPad unlock mini 3 is made of sapphire crystal, which is enclosed in a stainless steel ring. Each part: the ring detects touch, and the glass part transmits fingerprint data to the sensor. The reading program carries out comparative analysis and signals compliance. It is noteworthy that the Touch ID sensor performs the entire operation within a fraction of a second.

    Advantages of the technology:

    • Speed ​​of response and minimum number of required operations.
    • Safety confidential information(due to the specific architecture of the A7 processor).
    • Information security user (the password and fingerprint used cannot be copied or transferred in any way, and is also not available to the OS and applications).
    • Authorization in applications (Touch ID technology is already integrated to simplify the process of confirming actions or signing).
    • Using your fingerprint, you can confirm your purchase and iTunes - use Touch technology ID will eliminate the need to enter payment data and passwords.

    How to enable and configure Touch ID?

    Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to put a single checkmark to implement the functions of the technology. Then there arises logical question: How to enable Touch ID?

    Initial setup

    First of all, you should deal with the initial setup. She :

    1. Before starting the process, thoroughly wipe the button and fingers.
    2. Enter a four-digit password that you have created, which the program will use without recognizing the fingerprint (the request is also possible after a reboot, two days after the last unlocking of the device, or to access functions).
    3. Holding the device as if you normally press “Home”, place your finger on the button (a light touch is enough) and hold it until there is a slight vibration or until the system signals that you can remove your finger.
    4. After the initial recognition is completed, the system asks you to change the position of the pad - this is necessary to complete the scanning. Now you need to attach the edges of the fingertip.

    If the device is activated, then initial setup can be done through the main menu: by going to “Settings”, select “Touch ID and password”, then “Fingerprints”. The system itself will offer to go through the described registration process and about fingerprints.

    Activation methods

    If you can't set up Touch ID, you can use the sensor for purchases and password entry. To unlock an iPhone using technology, just wake it up from sleep mode by pressing the “Power” or “Home” buttons, and then place your finger on the “Home” button. To use a sensor as an identifier account, you need to go to the settings section, then select “Touch ID and password” and activate “ iTunes Store,App Store". When downloading content, the system will inform you that you need a fingerprint on your iPad or other device.

    Authorization using a scanner is activated separately, in the settings. Below are the relevant actions for Touch activation ID on iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 Plus with iOS 8 and updated iPhone 6 free application 1Password:

    1. Open “Settings” (tab located on the bottom panel of the program).
    2. Select the “Security” section.
    3. Scroll to the tab with the name of the technology.
    4. Switch the toggle switch to the “On” position.

    Now the entrance to the program is available after pressing the fingertip against the sensor for a second!

    Non-working function: defective or improper operation?

    Undoubtedly, but what should you do if Touch ID stops working or does not work initially? There may be several reasons for this:

    • Household reasons (incomplete coverage of the button with a fingertip, contamination of the sensor, and even others). It should be noted that most of the complaints about Touch ID not working well fall precisely under this and the next category.
    • Just a glitch in the recognition program. In this case, it is better to register a different fingerprint.
    • There is, unfortunately, such an option as marriage. An indicator of such a situation is the lack of effect from rebooting the device and a scanning error. Moreover, it does not matter whether the defect was made at the production stage or by a rogue seller who assembled one iPhone from two without taking into account the linking touch sensor ID to “its” processor, the phone will still have to be taken to a service center.

    With customization of the functionality, the functions in each application are more than covered by convenience, speed of operation and optimization of purchasing processes. Although the possibility of a marriage that could bring trouble cannot be ruled out.

    The appearance of any new feature V Apple devices(and not only) causes a wave of discussions, disputes, and criticism. This fate did not spare the fingerprint scanner built into the iPhone 5s and called Touch ID.

    The Canadian newspaper Toronto Star appeared entitled “The fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 5s: 10 reasons why it’s bad idea" The title of the article speaks for itself. But let's try to figure out whether Touch ID really deserves criticism - let's take the arguments of the Toronto Star writer and look at them more closely.

    1. There is a video of a cat unlocking an iPhone. How soon will hackers get to the scanner?

    Well, yes, such a video exists. Moreover, there are hundreds of similar videos where Touch ID is unlocked using various parts of the body (including intimate ones), but what does this mean? Only that the scanner is capable of reading fingerprints not only from fingers. This is bad? No. Less secure? Not either. Your cat will only be able to unlock your iPhone if you have added its pawprint to your trusted list. Well, of course, hypothetically we can assume that the attackers, having stolen your iPhone, will also grab your cat in order to unlock the device with its help... Sounds stupid, doesn’t it?

    Well, as for hackers, they have already reached the scanner, but methods of deceiving Touch ID are still far from being generally used.

    2. If Apple did something wrong, it would set the biometrics industry back years.

    What does “did something wrong” mean? And why should this have such a serious impact on an industry that developed before the advent of Touch ID, and will continue to develop after, even if it turns out that Apple actually got something wrong.

    3. Touch ID is a solution to a non-existent problem

    Here the author of the article asks a question that is painfully familiar from forum battles - why should people buy an iPhone 5s, pay a lot of money for it, if they are satisfied with the iPhone 5. As on the forums, it is very difficult to answer such a question. Or very simply: satisfied old model- Well, don’t buy a new one.

    4. Apple is using fear to promote this product.

    Well, this is actually funny. Fear of what? Before the possible theft of the device? Before possible access to confidential data? But Touch ID does not have any extra security, it simply makes user identification more convenient compared to the usual password entry.

    5. Wet and dirty fingers negatively affect the operation of the sensor, causing errors

    A compelling argument. Also, wet and dirty fingers do not work well with touch screen. So they just need to be washed and dried.

    6. Your fingerprints will be stored somewhere on your smartphone, and someone can use them

    First of all, Touch ID stores its data in a completely separate place designed specifically for this storage. And only the result of the form “ID verification successful/unsuccessful” is transmitted to the rest of the smartphone’s hardware. And it is impossible to intercept this data from the outside in any way.

    Further. iPhone does not store fingerprints. When adding a fingerprint, the finger is scanned and converted into a set of data, which is stored in the smartphone. Then, during identification, the finger is scanned again, another set of data is obtained, which is compared with the first. If the data matches, the user is identified. Moreover, these data sets are specific to the iPhone; using them elsewhere (even assuming that they can somehow be stolen) simply does not make sense.

    The kidnapper will receive gibberish, converting it back into a fingerprint will be as “simple” as recreating the original culinary masterpiece with all the decorations and cream inscriptions from a half-eaten cake, and even broken into small pieces. This comparison was made by a specialist familiar with this issue.

    7. This is complex software, which can lead to problems.

    The author means that complex software less resistant to hacker attacks. What to answer to this? iPhone 5s is not the only one in the world electronic device with complex software. And it’s okay, others somehow live and cope...

    8. This is only intended for part of the market. Most people don't care about safety

    Well, don't let them worry. No one is forcing anyone to use Touch ID, just like no one is forcing anyone to use a password. But since the authentication procedure with a scanner is much simpler than with a password, perhaps some of those who have not thought about security before will still use Touch ID?

    9. Possible technical problems with the new product

    Yes, this happens. But so far no problems have been noticed, in fact, users report that Touch ID “just works” and works fine. And if we proceed from the logic that everyone new product may encounter technical problems, and therefore it is bad - then it’s better not to release new products at all, isn’t it?

    10. People will use Touch ID on initial stage, but then they will refuse, since due to sensor wear, identification will occur with a delay

    Will there be this delay? Can anyone say this with certainty? Now there is no delay, the device works quickly and does not cause problems.

    And as a result. Once again, no one is forcing you to use Touch ID in mandatory. The sensor simplifies identification - that’s all, it’s not a panacea for all ills, but it’s not their source either. Whoever wants it will use it, the rest will simply use the smartphone in the manner familiar from previous models.

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