A set of disgruntled iPhone and iPad owners are once again reporting issues with Touch ID on compatible iPhone and iPad hardware after Apple’s public launch of iOS 9.1. Apple has history when it comes to introducing new firmware revisions that come bundled with breaking changes affecting its biometric fingerprint detection system. Earlier this year certain users also complained when iOS 8.0.1 seemed to break the Touch ID detection system and took to Apple’s public support communities to voice their concerns.
Once again, social media and Apple’s own support forums are being used as an outlet for affected users to express their dissatisfaction at the situation. Apple’s release of iOS 9.1 approximately two weeks ago was generally welcomed as the first major update to Apple’s latest iteration of its mobile platform. That update came with a host of new emoji characters, as well as an improvement to how Live Photos works. But it appears that it also comes with an intermittent Touch ID issue for some users, which has slipped through Apple’s QA processes.
The issues being experienced seem to be different for different users. Some iPhone and iPad owners are reporting that the fingerprint detection is now a hit and miss when it comes to detecting a fingerprint. Other users are reporting that the whole fingerprint detection system appears to have been slowed down, taking a very long time to respond to the placed finger. In more extreme cases, a number of device owners are suggesting that iOS 9.1 brings with it a total breakdown of Touch ID and that the system no longer functions at all.
As is usually the case, it seems that a temporary workaround to the problem can range from performing a relatively simple hard reset of the device to actually going through the process of doing a full device backup and restoring through iTunes. This is however a temporary fix to the problem as the majority of users performing those processes are reporting that the issue simply reoccurs after prolonged use. Given the fact that Apple has now stopped digitally signing iOS 9.0.2, it looks as though those affected users will have to wait for an update from Apple to fix the issue.
It’s currently unknown if the second beta of iOS 9.2 resolves this particular issue, but if it doesn’t we can only hope that Apple reads its own support communities and addresses the issues immediately.
(Source: Apple)
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