Introduction
Thought I'd post a guide here because I recently came across a ridiculous issue with the Touch ID that seems to have occurred to a lot of other people as well.
This guide provides steps for you to check whether your Touch ID is really broken or if it is still repairable. If your Touch ID behaved fine before a repair and suddenly fails to function afterwards, this guide might be able to repair it.
*This is NOT guaranteed to work as there are a few hundred ways the Touch ID could fail
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So, your Touch ID button had failed. The message "Touch ID cannot be activated on this phone" pops up whenever you restart the phone, and enrolling fingerprints fails in settings as well.
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The Touch ID would refuse to activate if you had disconnected the screen, the touch ID cable, or anything related when the battery is still connected to the motherboard. A restart would not make it reinitialize, but a software reset would.
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If you replaced the screen and the Touch ID fails to activate, check whether the Touch ID's press connector is properly seated. If it is not, then the button might register clicks but fails to activate the Touch ID function.
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Unlike the iPhone 5, 5s, and the SE1 (which connects the Touch ID to the motherboard in that disgusting cable leading to the charging port), the iPhone 6 and above uses the screen to connect the Touch ID to the motherboard. If the flex cables of the screen is broken, then the Touch ID would also refuse to work.
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For 5,5s, and SE owners check and replace the charging port assembly if necessary
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If all of the methods above failed, try a software reset again but this time reset the phone with a PC or a Mac. It will eliminate any issues with the phone itself while also updating it to the latest OS which should eliminate any software issues.
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Inspect the Touch ID cable, screen cable, and the press connector sockets on the motherboard to ensure no corrosion or damage exists.
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If your Touch ID have a broken cable or press connector don’t throw it away yet. Phone repair shops might be able to repair it with the right tools and skills, so it’s always worth a shot taking it to the local repair shop.
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If all of the previous steps failed, you'll pretty much have to accept the fact that it's not gonna work. Reset your phone (just in case😉) again and use it without Touch ID.
