Touch ID option missing after extended sleep on MacBook Pro

nathanbeach wrote:

Prior to MacOS Tahoe, the ability to unlock my 2020 MacBook Pro after sleep was always available via Touch ID (except after a reboot).

Now I'm required to enter my password every time. After I've unlocked with touch id and just momentarily close my laptop, the touch id is available to unlock the laptop. It just seems to disappear after it's been asleep for a while.

Has anyone else run into this and have any solution?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: touch id option not showing after sleep on MacOS 26 (although touch id does generally work)

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 26.1

I am not seeing this issue.

Please note 26.1 is beta and you are advised to Unenroll Your Devices

https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/unenroll#macos

The current stable release of Tahoe including bug fixes, security updates is macOS 26.0.1 - i would start there

Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support

Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support

Verify your Settings> and make some changes

Lock Screen

Battery

TouchID

No resolve—

A SafeBoot Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support will sort many anomalies

Login and test. Reboot as normal and test.

nathanbeach wrote:

@leroydouglas i think you got it. i had iphone mirroring (which I don't even use) set to automatically authenticate, which was requiring the laptop to force a password every time. the option to do "Never" was disabled as a result:

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/1ffe6d33-4529-470d-9491-786135c80c32

this was not an issue before, maybe the restriction was introduced in Tahoe? Thank you for your help!

Good computing nathanbeach !

What does 'extended sleep' mean? Typically, macOS would require the password on wake if not entered in the past 48 hours. They may have shortened that interval with Tahoe.

nathanbeach wrote:

this was not an issue before, maybe the restriction was introduced in Tahoe? Thank you for your help!

That dependency started when iPhone Mirroring came with Sequoia, but Tahoe may have reset the setting to Authenticate automatically instead of Ask every time for people who don't use iPhone Mirroring (mine stayed where I set it as Ask every time).

Same here, but it seems to be entirely random. Sometimes I have to type in the password. Other times it comes up. Sometimes my MacBook just unlocks without either. But Touch ID still works perfectly with passwords in Safari.