How to fix iPhone 8 Plus Touch ID that stopped working after installing an iOS update [Troubleshooting Guide]

When it comes to security feature, iOS devices particularly the new iPhone 8 Plus entrenched an advanced security system referred to as the Touch ID. With Touch ID activated, you can unlock and access your device using your registered fingerprints, make and authorize Apple Pay purchases, and helps safeguard critical data stored on your iOS device. You can also use Touch ID to unlock your iPhone instead of enter passcode. Indeed it’s an advanced security feature there is to utilize on an iPhone.

But like other advanced features, there are instances when the Touch ID system would fail to serve its purpose. Just like what has occurred to some iPhone 8 Plus owners who later found out that Touch ID isn’t working after updating iOS to the latest version. Read on to find out why such problem occur and if necessary, troubleshoot the problem using the subsequent simple solutions.

Before anything else, if you have other issues with your device, try to browse through our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed several issues with this device. Odds are that we’ve already published a post that tackles similar problems. Try finding issues that have similar symptoms with what you currently have and feel free to use the solutions we’ve suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, then fill up our questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

How to troubleshoot iPhone 8 Plus with Touch ID that stopped working

Before troubleshooting, give Touch ID another try and this time make sure you do it properly. Make sure your finger doesn’t cover the Home button completely when you place it on the Home button. Also ensure that it touches the surrounding metal ring. While scanning, do not tap your finger too quick and refrain from moving your finger around until the scan is complete. Make sure that the Home button is free from dirt, oil, or any possible elements of obstruction. Once you have all that checked and yet still the Touch ID isn’t working, then try the following solutions.

First solution: Check and ensure Touch ID feature is enabled.

Like other features, Touch ID must also be turned on or activated on the phone so it can be used. To make sure that the feature isn’t turned off by the new update automatically, follow these steps to check and ensure Touch ID is enabled on your iPhone 8 Plus:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Touch ID & Passcode.
  3. Then check and ensure that iPhone Unlock and iTunes & App Store options are enabled.

If it’s already enabled, then turn it off for a few seconds and then back on. This can also help clear any minor glitches afflicting Touch ID following the recent iOS platform changes.

Second solution: Reboot/soft reset your iPhone 8 Plus.

A soft reset can be the next possible solution to try if Touch ID is still not working even after togging it off and on. Minor software glitches brought by the new iOS update might have caused temporary issue on the Touch ID system. To clear these minor glitches, a soft reset or restart on the iPhone would be necessary. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Press and hold the Side/Power button until the Slide to Power Off command appears.
  2. Drag the slider to the right to turn your iPhone completely off.
  3. After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears and then release.

This won’t affect any data, apps, settings, and personal information that you’ve stored on the internal memory.

Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone 8 Plus.

The problem can also be due to invalid system settings on the iPhone. This is likely to occur if the new iOS update is programmed to automatically alter system settings. There may be some invalid changes that spoiled the Touch ID system and thus causing it to go malfunction. So here’s what you should do then:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to and tap Reset.
  4. Select Reset All Settings from the given options.
  5. If prompted, enter your passcode to continue.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm all settings reset.

Allow your device to finish the reset and reboot by itself. By then you can set up and re-enable options you want to use on the phone. This won’t affect internal data so you won’t lose any saved information from doing so.

Fourth solution: Factory reset your iPhone 8 Plus.

A factory reset can be considered among the last options to try on if all prior methods failed to offer an ultimate solution. Doing so will wipe everything from your iPhone including any errors and tough bugs that might have inflicted such trouble. Before you proceed though, be sure to back up all your important data so you can recover them later. Then follow these steps to reset your iPhone 8 Plus to its factory defaults:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll to and tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Erase All Content and Settings.
  5. If prompted, enter your device passcode to continue.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm reset.

Your iPhone will reboot once the reset is finished. By then you can proceed with the initial setup process. You will need to set up Touch ID and enroll fingerprints again.

Fifth solution: Restore your iPhone 8 Plus in iTunes.

Performing an iOS restore through iTunes may be necessary if a factory reset failed to fix the issue. With iTunes, you can erase your device and restore the system from a previous iOS backup and then set it up as new. Should you wish to try it, then back up all your important files and then follow these steps:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with the supplied USB cable or Lightning cable.
  2. Press and release the Volume Up button, then quickly press and release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until the phone enters recovery mode. Don’t release the Side/Power button when the Apple logo appears.
  3. Release the Side/Power button only when you see the Connect to iTunes screen.
  4. Open iTunes on your computer and you should see a message saying that “There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored.”
  5. Select the option to Restore.

iTunes will then instigate the system restore and attempt to reinstall iOS then download the software for your iPhone. As soon as the iOS restore is finished, reboot your iPhone and proceed with the initial device setup. The download usually takes 15 minutes to complete. Your iPhone will exit recovery more if the download takes longer than the specified time. And if that happens, just wait until the download is complete then repeat the previous steps to enter recovery mode or Connect to iTunes screen and finish restoring iOS.

After the iOS restore, you will need to set up Touch ID and then register the fingerprints you want to use.

Alternatively, you can carry out a DFU mode restore, in case a recovery mode restore failed to solve the issue and your iPhone 8 Touch ID doesn’t work still. A Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode restore will put your device in a state where it’s still able to communicate with iTunes on a computer even without activating the bootloader or iOS. For a more detailed walkthrough on how a DFU mode restore works and how it’s done on an iPhone 8 Plus can be found on our Tutorials page.  Just visit our Troubleshooting page if needed.

Seek more help

If Touch ID is still not working on your iPhone 8 Plus after exhausting all possible solutions, then you may escalate the issue to your carrier or Apple Support for further recommendations. Or you can just take your iPhone to an Apple-authorized service center in your place and have it diagnosed by an iPhone technician instead. While the problem may have started after installing an iOS update, it doesn’t always mean that a faulty update is to blame. There may be some hardware components that need to be fixed.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 8 Plus. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

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