Privacy and security
Touch ID
Most people call this unlocking with your fingerprint.
Touch ID reads your fingerprint and stores a mathematical representation in the Secure Enclave, never as an image and never off the device.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 10 and later
- Settings
- Touch ID & Passcode
What it does
You can enrol several fingerprints, which is worth doing for both thumbs and an index finger. It authorises unlocking, Apple Pay, purchases and password autofill, according to the switches on the same screen.
On most iPhones the sensor is in the Home button. On the iPhone Duo it is in the side button.
What changes
When it is on
A finger unlocks the phone and confirms payments.
When it is off
Everything falls back to the passcode.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Works reliably when your face is covered.
- Enrol several fingers for whichever hand is free.
- Makes a long passcode practical.
Good reasons to turn it off
- You would rather no fingerprint data existed on the device.
- Wet or damaged fingers make it unreliable.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Offered during setup on models with the hardware.
Worth reading first
What your iPhone needs
- Needs an iPhone with Touch ID
Questions people actually ask
- Does the iPhone Duo have Touch ID?
- Yes, in the side button rather than a Home button.
- How many fingerprints can I add?
- Several. Adding your two thumbs and an index finger covers almost every way you pick the phone up.
If it is not working
- Enrol the same finger twice at slightly different angles if recognition is poor.
- Clean the sensor and your hands. Moisture is the usual cause of failure.
- Rest, do not press. The sensor reads rather than clicks.