When you properly set up TouchID to unlock your iPhone or iPad, many users add several different of their fingers to the configuration so that they can unlock the iOS device in different orientations. That’s a good idea, but sometimes you may want to change which fingers (or whose fingers) are allowed to access and unlock the Touch ID sensor, and to do so you’ll probably want to delete old finger prints from the Touch ID database in iOS.
Removing a fingerprint from Touch ID on the iPhone and iPad is actually quite simple, and you can either delete one or all stored fingerprints using this method.
- Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone or iPad and go to “Touch ID & Passcode”
- Enter the devices passcode as usual to enter the Touch ID settings section
- Scroll down to the “Fingerprints” section
- Use a slide gesture to the LEFT to show a “Delete” option (or tap on the fingerprint in question to delete it)
5. Confirm the removal of the fingerprint, then repeat as necessary to remove other fingerprints from Touch ID
Remember that using Touch ID and a passcode is highly recommended, so only remove fingerprints if you’re going to either add new ones or set a passcode in general, this helps to secure the device and protect it from prying eyes.
Remember that there is a limitation of five fingerprints per iOS device, so if you remove a few you’ll likely want to add a new one again, if not add the same finger a few times so that Touch ID is more reliable on the iPad or iPhone.