How To Use TouchID Properly: Tips, Tricks & Best Practices

Here’s how to get the most out of Apple’s biometric reader.

When Apple first introduced the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s it was revolutionary for its time. It was among the first of biometric readers on smartphones that actually worked. However, at the time the uses for Touch ID were limited. You could only unlock your phone with it or authenticate iTunes and App Store purchases.

Since then, Apple has opened up Touch ID to third party apps, expand its use throughout iOS, and made it a key feature for Apple Pay authentication. While its undoubtable that Touch ID’s usefulness has increased dramatically, many don’t know they can make Touch ID even more useful with the following tips:

Disable iTunes Store, App Store, and Apple Pay purchases

A nice benefit of Touch ID is the ability to use your fingerprint to authenticate purchases from the App Store and iTunes Store on your iPhone and iPad. No doubt about it: it saves a lot of time and frustration of having to enter your password each time. The only problem is sometimes using Touch ID for purchases makes it too easy to buy media and in-app purchases. A few times I’ve even accidentally purchased a few apps with Touch ID when I had intended to cancel the transaction at the last minute.

Luckily Apple allows you to display Touch ID for App Store, iTunes Store, and even Apple Pay purchases. Here’s how:

1. Tap the Settings app.
2. Tap Touch ID & Passcode
3. Enter your device passcode when asked.
4. Under “Use Touch ID For” toggle the green switch to OFF (white) next to iTunes & App Store and, optionally, Apple Pay.

Add multiple fingerprints

Most people only use Touch ID with their thumbprint, but Touch ID can actually store and read five different fingerprints. Storing more fingerprints means you can use more fingers to enable Touch ID. At first this may seem silly. After all, are you ever not going to have your thumb on you? But then you realize that additional fingers make Touch ID better because sometimes you are holding your iPhone or iPad at an angle where the thumb isn’t the finger with the most easily accessible reach to the Touch ID button.

For example, I use my idea finger to unlock Touch ID when I’m using my iPhone in bed at night, which is generally held above my face with my one hand. Moving my thumb on that hand would cause the iPhone to fall, but I don’t have to worry about that because I have added my index fingerprint on my other hand to the stored prints Touch ID can read.

Here’s how you can add more prints:

1. Tap the Settings app.
2. Tap Touch ID & Passcode
3. Enter your device passcode when asked.
4. Under “Fingerprints” tap “Add a Fingerprint”
5. You’ll be taken through the normal fingerprint setup screen again and this time you can choose any additional finger you want.

Keep your fingerprints organized

By default when you add fingerprints to Touch ID they’ll be named “Finger 1”, “Finger 2”, and so on. This is fine…except when you want to delete a specific print. It might be hard to remember which “finger” is which. Thankfully, you can rename your scanned fingerprints to anything you want. Here’s how:

1. Tap the Settings app.
2. Tap Touch ID & Passcode
3. Enter your device passcode when asked.
4. Under “Fingerprints” tap the “Finger #” you want to rename.
5. On the next screen delete the generic “Finger #” and enter your own name (such as “left thumb”, “right thumb”, “ring finger”, etc.).
   

Remove fingerprints

You can also delete fingerprints if you want. This makes room for additional scans if you need them. Doing this is easy:

1. Tap the Settings app.
2. Tap Touch ID & Passcode
3. Enter your device passcode when asked.
4. Under “Fingerprints” tap the “Finger #” you want to remove.
5. On the next screen tap the red Delete Fingerprint button.

Scan someone else’s fingerprint in case of an emergency

This is perhaps my favorite Touch ID tip. Though Touch ID is designed for personal security, there’s no reason you can’t store another person’s fingerprint on your device. Why might you want to do this? A backup fingerprint of someone else ensures they will be able to access your phone in times of emergency if you are not around or otherwise unable to.

Needless to say, you should only give someone else who you EXPLICITLY TRUST access to your Touch ID, like a spouse or partner.  Here’s how to add someone else’s fingerprint to your Touch ID:

1. Tap the Settings app.
2. Tap Touch ID & Passcode
3. Enter your device passcode when asked.
4. Under “Fingerprints” tap “Add a Fingerprint”
5. You’ll be taken through the normal fingerprint setup screen again but this time let your trusted other enter one of their prints.

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