How To Fix ‘Touch ID Not Work­ing on MacBook’ Issue – Guide

Touch ID is an Apple technology that allows users to open their devices, log into apps, use Apple Pay, and make purchases from the App Store and iTunes by contacting us and momentarily holding their finger against the sensor. The moment it works, it’s mystical and you need it everywhere – your vehicle, your home, your yacht, your one-man rocket to Mars. The moment it doesn’t, you’ll need to toss your iPhone (or Mac) across the room.

With Touch ID, you can keep your devices locked without the hassle and extra time needed to enter your password or passwords when you really want to access your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

How to Fix the MacBook Pro Touch ID not working

dry your fingers

Touch ID fingerprint registration is having problems due to dirty fingers. Make sure your fingers are clean and free of moisture, sweat, oil, bruises, and excessive dryness.

Update your Mac OS to macOS 11 Big Sur

A Mac OS update is available that contains fixes for bugs in system utilities, including Touch ID. Make sure your Mac OS is up to date to ensure you’re protected from potential security issues.

To check for updates on your MacBook Pro, open the App Store on your MacBook Pro and click “Updates” on the App Store toolbar. In the next window, tap “Update” button to download and install any pending updates.

Delete and re-add your Touch ID fingerprints on your MacBook Pro

If you continue to get an “Fingerprint Limit Reached” error on your MacBook Pro, deleting and re-adding fingerprints may help fix this issue.

  1. Open the “System Preferences” application on your MacBook Pro.
  2. Click on “Security & Privacy.”
  3. Click on “Touch ID & Passwords.”
  4. Enter your Apple ID password and click on the “Change” button next to your fingerprint scan entry.
  5. Select the “Delete Fingerprint” option and enter your new fingerprint scan in the corresponding field. Click on the “OK” button to save your changes. ..

On the Touch ID panel, you can configure how your fingerprints are used on the Mac. ..

To use Touch ID on your MacBook Pro, you’ll need to register your fingerprints. To do this, click on “MacBook Pro Touch ID Settings” and then select the “Registered Fingers” tab. This will display a list of all the fingerprints that have been registered to your MacBook Pro. ..

To delete a fingerprint, hover your mouse over the icon of the fingerprint you want to delete and click on the “X” button. ..

Your MacBook Pro’s system password is “password.” To delete it, enter “delete” at the keyboard.

After that, reset your MacBook Pro’s Touch ID and add your fingerprints again.

To enable Touch ID on your MacBook Pro, go to “System Preferences” and click on the “Touch ID Preferences Panel.” In this next window, you will need to enter your MacBook Pro’s system password when prompted. After entering the password, Touch ID will be enabled on your device! ..

Restart SMC

An SMC issue can disrupt the operations of several applications, including power button, keyboard backlight, battery management settings, status indicator lights, motion sensors, and more. If an issue arises and your MacBook Pro is unable to turn on or respond to certain tasks, it may be the reason behind Touch ID errors.

-The first SMC reset method is to hold down the power button for 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears. -The second SMC reset method is to hold down the power button and the volume up button simultaneously for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears. ..

To reset the SMC on MacBook Pro devices with non-removable battery (2009 and later models),

Shut down your Mac by opening the Apple menu and selecting “Shut down.”

After your mac completely shuts down, press and hold “Shift + Control + Option” simultaneously with the power button (which is also your Touch ID button) for 10 seconds and then release the key.

After that, release all the keys and turn the Mac back on by pressing the power button. Your Mac will start working with a reset SMC. ..

For MacBook Pro devices with removable battery (models released before 2009),

Shut down your Mac and remove the battery.

After pressing the power button for 5 seconds, remove the battery and reinsert it. ..

After that, turn on your mac by pressing the on / off button button again.

Final note

If you’re having trouble getting your MacBook to recognize your fingerprint, there are a few things you can do to try and fix the issue. This guide will walk you through some of the most common solutions. If none of them work, please feel free to reach out to us for help. ..