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Did Apple’s iOS 7.1 software update fix TouchID or break it?

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
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By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 12, 2014, 11:43 AM ET

FORTUNE — Having writtentwice about the problems I’ve had getting the iPhone 5S to recognize my scarred left thumbprint — and to remember it two days later — I’m happy to report that TouchID is working for me now.

I don’t know whether to thank the “overtraining” trick I picked up a couple weeks ago or the iOS 7.1 software update that Apple (AAPL) released on Monday, but for me TouchID’s reliability has increased significantly, from an unworkable 50% to close to 100%.

Your mileage may vary. In fact, some iPhone 5S owners are complaining on Apple’s support site that for them, the update backfired. As of Wednesday morning, Touch ID doesn’t work after iOS 7.1 Update had drawn 25 responses and more than 2,000 views.

To try to quantify the extent of the problem, how about a quick, totally unscientific poll?

[polldaddy poll=7872241]

LINK: Touch ID not working after updating to iOS 7.1? Here’s how to fix it!

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
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