Touch ID not working on a Mac? 7 fixes to try

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Touch ID reads the fine lines of your fingertip. Anything that changes the surface of the skin, or a setting that has been switched off, makes it fail. In some situations the Mac asks for the password on purpose, and that is not a fault.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings. The pictures are our own screenshots from macOS Tahoe 26 on a MacBook Pro.

Step by step

1. Clean and dry finger and sensor

   Moisture, hand cream, sweat, oil, cuts and very dry skin all disturb the reading. Wipe the Touch ID button with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth and dry your finger.

   Done

2. Know when the password is required

   The Mac always asks for the password after a restart or after you log out, when it has not been unlocked for more than 48 hours, after five failed fingerprint attempts, and when you change the Touch ID settings. Type the password once and Touch ID works again.

   Done

3. Update macOS

   Open System Settings, click General, then Software Update, and install the newest version available for your Mac.

   Done

4. Restart the Mac

   Choose Restart from the Apple menu and sign in with your password.

   Done

5. 

   Check what Touch ID is switched on for

   Open System Settings and click Touch ID & Password in the sidebar. The switches below the fingerprints decide whether Touch ID unlocks the Mac, pays with Apple Pay, confirms purchases and fills in passwords.

   Done

6. 

   Delete the fingerprint and add it again

   On the same page, move the pointer over the fingerprint, click the X and confirm with your password. Then click Add Fingerprint and place the finger again. You can also add a second finger.

   Done

7. Magic Keyboard with Touch ID: connect it by cable

   Switch the keyboard off, connect it to the Mac with its USB cable and switch it on. Wait at least 10 seconds before you try Touch ID. A Magic Keyboard with Touch ID only works with a Mac with Apple silicon.

   Done

Good to know

Touch ID does not work on a Mac that is set to log in automatically without a password.

If the fault only appears when the Magic Keyboard is used wirelessly, other radio devices close by may be interfering. Move the keyboard nearer to the Mac.

The full set-up is described in how to set up Touch ID on a Mac.

In short: Clean and dry, type the password once, update, restart, check the switches, add the fingerprint again, cable for a Magic Keyboard.