Auto-unlock with Touch ID only works once

[stanft]

Hi everyone,

I am experiencing a strange problem after having updated my MBP 2019 16" to Big Sur: I can auto-unlock my current macOS session only once using Touch ID. The next time the system is locked the lock screen still shows the text notification that I can use Touch ID to unlock the system, but the touch bar shows no Touch ID hint and the Touch ID sensor is inactive.

If I logout and login, auto-unlock using Touch ID is working again.

It only affects auto-unlock. All other parts of macOS that use Touch ID are working flawlessly (i.e. unlock system settings).

Is there anybody else with this problem?

Regards,
Stephan

 

[AUqyfvfv]

Hi everyone,

I am experiencing a strange problem after having updated my MBP 2019 16" to Big Sur: I can auto-unlock my current macOS session only once using Touch ID. The next time the system is locked the lock screen still shows the text notification that I can use Touch ID to unlock the system, but the touch bar shows no Touch ID hint and the Touch ID sensor is inactive.

If I logout and login, auto-unlock using Touch ID is working again.

It only affects auto-unlock. All other parts of macOS that use Touch ID are working flawlessly (i.e. unlock system settings).

Is there anybody else with this problem?

Regards,
Stephan

Hi Stephan,

I can't use Touch ID to auto-unlock even once for my MBP 2019 16" which is just upgraded to Big Sur. Tried removing fingerprint and adding it back as well as doing SMC reset, no luck. Likewise, I can use Touch ID to unlock other settings.

Regards,
Bob

 

[ayush99]

Hi everyone,

I am experiencing a strange problem after having updated my MBP 2019 16" to Big Sur: I can auto-unlock my current macOS session only once using Touch ID. The next time the system is locked the lock screen still shows the text notification that I can use Touch ID to unlock the system, but the touch bar shows no Touch ID hint and the Touch ID sensor is inactive.

If I logout and login, auto-unlock using Touch ID is working again.

It only affects auto-unlock. All other parts of macOS that use Touch ID are working flawlessly (i.e. unlock system settings).

Is there anybody else with this problem?

Regards,
Stephan

I am also facing the same problem, have you found the fix? Also, I feel that my battery is draining much faster. I used only safari for some youtube videos and normal browsing but my battery lasted barely for 3 hours.

 

[gbvrules]

I can confirm this is a thing. Touch ID and stored fingerprints still work for all other purposes, just not at the Lock Screen, nor does the Touch Bar even show the arrow prompt there. None of the usual ritual fixes work: toggling Touch ID on and off, deleting and re-adding fingerprints, resetting the NVRAM and SMC. After any of these and a reboot, Touch ID will unlock the machine exactly once (as noted by OP), even without showing the prompt, but not on subsequent attempts.

 

[alecgold]

Same here, PRAM, SMC, removing and adding finger prints, fitst time it works, after that I can't use it to login.
Is there an apple support thread perhaps?

 

[AUqyfvfv]

Same here, PRAM, SMC, removing and adding finger prints, fitst time it works, after that I can't use it to login.
Is there an apple support thread perhaps?

This is the one I found so far: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/666460

 

[alecgold]

But there seems to be no solution?

 

[AUqyfvfv]

But there seems to be no solution?

Not yet. I checked reddit and got nothing yet. I just filed a feedback to Apple via the Developer app, and also mentioned the URL for this discussion as well as https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/666460

 

[alecgold]

I found that if I let my MacBook Pro sleep by closing the lid, that the FPR does work.
Only when the screen stays open it doesn't work properly.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[gbvrules]

I found that if I let my MacBook Pro sleep by closing the lid, that the FPR does work.
Only when the screen stays open it doesn't work properly.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Same for me as well -- somehow the difference between closed-lid sleep and time-out sleep makes all the difference for Touch ID, so that's a clue. The "Unlock" prompt with arrow even returns to the Touch Bar. Unfortunately, my use case has the laptop on a stand with the display open almost all the time, so manually closing and opening it just to use Touch ID isn't much of an option.

 

[fernelius]

I'm having this problem as well. All TouchID functions disappear after one boot. The TouchID control panel has all the TouchID options disabled, and the fingerprints have disappeared. When I click on "Add Fingerprint," it says "Fingerprint limit reached." This account has no fingerprints listed (should have two), and the other account has none and hasn't had them in the past. This is on a MacBook Pro 15 (late 2017). I've tried clearing the PRAM and SMC without correction. Another set of threads recommend rebooting in recovery mode and using terminal to enter "xartutil -erase-all". DO NOT DO THIS ON A SYSTEM WITH A T2 SECURITY CHIP according to the threads as it messes with other items. On my system with a T1 chip, it allowed me to startup, configure TouchID, and enter new fingerprints; however, upon restart, I was back where I was in the beginning. I can still unlock with my Apple Watch 5, but I'd like TouchID back.

 

[DThompson55]

Same - quite annoying, but like @alecgold & @gbvrules mentioned, Touch ID works again that one time if you close the lid, reopen.

 

[pawkor]

Same - quite annoying, but like @alecgold & @gbvrules mentioned, Touch ID works again that one time if you close the lid, reopen.

Same here, very annoying with quite long password and typos

 

[AUqyfvfv]

Just stumbled upon this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOSBeta/comments/hw5o20
If you've your fast user switcher disabled under Login Options in the Users & Groups menu, try to re-enable it to see if it works for you. I tried but no luck.

 

[wyattstorch42]

Sorry to hear this didn't work for you, but I wanted to report that it did work for me.

I have two user accounts on my 2018 15" MBP (A1990). I had disabled the fast switcher, wanting to cleaning up the icons on my menu bar that I don't use. I reenabled it this morning, then tried putting the computer to sleep, then woke it with the keyboard. The Touch ID worked this time and a second time now, so I'm optimistic!

I recommend anyone else with this issue give this a try as well.

 

[gbvrules]

Worked for me, many thanks!

 

[alecgold]

forgot to reply, worked for me, thanks!