[Fix] Touch ID Stopped Working After Upgrade to macOS Sonoma 14/14.6.1

macOS Sonoma 14.6.1 resolved several problems I was having before (e.g., slow-charging battery), but it also came with a new set of issues. One particularly inconvenient glitch on Sonoma was when my Touch ID stopped working. I was basically locked out of anything that uses iCloud Keychain.

Fortunately, I already knew which troubleshooting solutions were likely to yield results. Below are my top eight recommendations. 

How To Fix Touch ID That Stopped Working After Upgrading to Sonoma 14/14.6.1

1. Clean Your Standby Button 

Whenever I had problems in the past with Touch ID on my MacBook or iPhone, I always found that cleaning the button is worth trying before anything else. Most of the time, your device won’t recognize your fingerprint if the button is dirty.

When cleaning the standby button on your Mac, avoid using liquids—including cleaning agents. Doing so can cause irreparable damage and void your warranty. However, a small amount of liquid could help if the trackpad isn’t working on your MacBook Air. 

2. Reboot Your Mac in Safe Mode 

If cleaning your standby button didn’t work, you should next try rebooting your Mac in Safe Mode. Enabling Safe Mode will stop various programs from functioning, allowing you to determine whether you need to take further action. 

Here are the steps you should follow to reboot your Mac in Safe Mode: 

1. Turn off your Mac in the same way that you normally would. 
2. Press and hold the button that you typically use to switch your Mac on. 
3. When you see Loading Startup Options, let go of the button and choose one of the volumes that appear. 
4. Try using Touch ID on your Mac to see if the issue has been resolved. If it has, turn your device off and on again. 

3. Manually Type in Your Computer Password Upon Login

Manually typing in your computer password can resolve minor Sonoma Touch ID glitches on your Mac—this might also work if Face ID stopped working on your iPhone.

1. Lock your MacBook screen. You can do this by either closing the lid and waiting for a few minutes or by clicking the Apple menu icon and selecting Lock Screen. 
   
2. You should see an option beneath your user profile titled Touch ID or Enter Password. Tap on this to reveal the password box.
   
3. Enter your password and navigate to an app or function where you need to use Touch ID (e.g. Passkeys/Passwords). 

4. Remove Any Connected Bluetooth Keyboards 

Connected devices can interfere with how Touch ID works on your Mac, so you should next try removing your Bluetooth keyboards. This goes for whether you use a Magic Keyboard or a third-party alternative. 

1. Open System Settings and go to Bluetooth. 
   
2. Under My Devices, remove your keyboards. 
3. Try using Touch ID again. If you can, reconnect your Bluetooth keyboards to verify that this will continue working. 

You may also want to try resetting Bluetooth on your Mac so that Touch ID and your Bluetooth keyboard simultaneously work.  

5. Unplug USBs and USB Hubs 

In addition to removing Bluetooth keyboards (and other devices), you should also unplug your USBs and USB hubs—including any connected smartphones or tablets. However, you also need to ensure that you do so safely to avoid corrupting your drives and devices. Here’s how to do that: 

1. Open Finder. 
2. Under Locations, look for your connected devices and hubs. 
3. Press Control and your trackpad simultaneously to reveal the dropdown menu. When it appears, select Eject [Device Name]. Repeat this process until you’ve disconnected everything. 
   

6. Reset Your Mac SMC 

Resetting your System Management Controller (SMC) will reset various internal hardware functions, so it’s worth trying if you can’t use your Touch ID. Since turning off your Mac will effectively restart your SMC settings if you have an Apple Silicon device, you should follow these instructions: 

1. Turn your MacBook off. 
2. Wait 30 to 60 seconds and turn your device back on. 
3. Log into your user account and try using Touch ID again. 

Some Intel-based Macs support Sonoma, and if yours is one of those, follow these steps instead. 

1. Turn off your computer and press the standby button for 10 seconds. 
2. Let go of the standby button, before restarting your device. 
3. Press right Shift, left Option, and left Control for seven seconds. Keep a hold of these keys, but also hold down the standby button. 
4. After waiting another seven seconds, turn your Mac on and try using Touch ID like normal once you’ve signed in. 

7. Delete and Re-Register Your Touch ID

While by no means convenient, re-registering your Touch ID can solve problems you’re having with this mechanism. You should also check that you’ve enabled Touch ID for various settings in System Settings > Touch ID. 

Here’s how to delete and re-register your Touch ID if you have and it isn’t working: 

1. Go to System Settings > Touch ID and hover your cursor over the registered fingerprint. 
2. Tap the x icon. 
   
3. Enter your login password to remove the fingerprint. 
4. Select + Add Fingerprint. You’ll probably have to enter your password again. 
5. Register your new fingerprint, reset your Mac, and use Touch ID like normal. 

8. Try Downgrading to Sonoma 14.5 

Another inconvenient method to potentially solve this problem is downgrading to Sonoma 14.5. Before you do, you should back up your device; there are plenty of Mac backup software alternatives to Time Machine. You can follow the same instructions outlined in this article for downgrading macOS Sonoma to Ventura but to Sonoma 14.5 instead. 

I know how annoying it feels to see that Touch ID suddenly stopped working, but hopefully, any of the above solutions can help with troubleshooting. You can reach out to Apple Support for more assistance.