Touch ID not working after updating to iOS 7.1? Here's how to fix it!

Posted March 13, 201410 yr

Touch ID is one of the things Apple says they've improved and made more reliable with iOS 7.1. As with any complex piece of software, however, what makes things better for many people can sometimes break it for a few. That seems to be the case with Touch ID and iOS 7.1. A few of our readers have reported that instead of making Touch ID better on the iPhone 5s, iOS 7.1 broke it completely. If you're having problems with Touch ID after updating to iOS 7.1 here are few things you can try to fix it.

1. Delete all your prints from Touch ID and add them again

The easiest place to start is by deleting all your fingerprints from Touch ID and re-registering them.

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone 5s.
Tap on Touch ID & Passcode.
Type in your Passcode when prompted.
Tap on any fingerprint and then tap on Delete Fingerprint. Repeat this until all your fingerprints are removed.
Tap on Add a Fingerprint... and go through the process of adding your fingerprints again.

Now try Touch ID again and see if this fixed the issue for you. If it did, you're done and there's no need to go any further. For some people Touch ID seems to be failing on this process too or this doesn't rectify it. If that sounds like you, continue on to step 2.

2. Restore your iPhone 5s from a backup

If re-registering your fingerprints doesn't work you can try restoring your iPhone completely.

Plug your iPhone 5s into iTunes.
Choose your iPhone in the top right corner.
On the main iPhone summary screen, click on Restore iPhone...
Choose whether or not you'd like to back up your iPhone first in the next pop up. If you back up to iTunes, select Back Up. If you've already backed up to iCloud you can click on Don't Back Up.
On the next popup click on Restore and Update.
Let iTunes do its thing.

Once iTunes is done you can either restore from iTunes or unplug your iPhone and restore from iCloud. If you need help doing either of those, you can check out our guides:

Once you're done, test Touch ID functionality once more after completing your backup. If it still doesn't work, move on to the next step.

3. Visit the Apple Store

If restoring your iPhone didn't fix the issue, you may need to make a visit to your local Apple Store for further assistance. In some cases, your iPhone 5s may need to be swapped out for a new unit.

We recommend scheduling a Genius Bar appointment before going so you can decrease, if not completely eliminate, your wait time.

How to schedule a Genius Bar appointment from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac

4. Were you able to remedy your Touch ID issues after updating to iOS 7.1?

If you were able to remedy the Touch ID issue some people have been experiencing after updating, what did you do? Was it something different than what we've suggested above? Let us know in the comments what worked for you! And if you haven't solved the problem after trying all of the above, let us know that too!