Google's Explanation For Why Pixel 6 Fingerprint Sensor Is Lethargic Falls Flat
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are the first in the family of Pixel phones to have an under-screen fingerprint sensor. Since its launch last month, users have been complaining about the sensor being slow to recognize their fingerprints and at times not recognizing the print at all. Here at HotHardware we noted in our Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro review that the sensor was at times a bit slow for us too. Well Google has taken to Twitter with both an apology and an excuse as to why it believes this is the case.
This could mean that Google's sensor has more going on than its algorithms. Samsung suffered a similar issue in 2019 when it introduced its new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner on the S10 and Note10 when used with cheap screen protectors. In that case, Samsung was eventually able to remedy the situation with a software update. Hopefully Google will be able to do the same, if in fact this is something that can be improved on the software side.
Some users have also reported that after they erased their original fingerprint and added it back, the issue seemed to go away. If you are experiencing issues with the sensor on your Pixel 6 you can try some of the troubleshooting techniques listed out on its help page as well. Alternatively, we wrote about super-easy workaround that we verified improves the responsiveness of the sensor—just head to Settings > Display, scroll down to "Other display controls," and toggle on the "Increase touch sensitivity" option.
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have been touted as Google's best Pixel yet, even with the issues some are currently experiencing. As software updates continue to be come out and be applied, hopefully owners of the phones will only grow to love their phones even more.