All the problems with the fingerprint sensor of the mobile

It is a tool that, in addition to increasing our security, allows us to unlock the device more quickly and accurately, compared to other methods that have always been there, such as entering a pin, password or pattern. However, like any function or hardware, it is likely that your mobile’s fingerprint reader may start to malfunction or, directly, not respond. And there are several reasons that can be included in this problem. So, in addition, we will see different solutions to repair the failure of this sensor.

Check the settings

Before going fully into the different problems of the mobile’s fingerprint sensor , the first thing we should do is check if the reader configuration is correct. Well, if at the time of registering the fingerprints, we put the finger wrong, the truth is that this will be the main culprit for it working slowly, poorly or not even responding.

Step by Step

The truth is that, for some other reason, it may have been misaligned without us realizing it, causing us to not be able to unlock the device no matter how much we try our luck with our finger. Therefore, before proceeding to deduce that it is a terminal touch panel error, it will be better to access the phone with the alternative pattern or PIN to follow a series of steps that will be different depending on the customization layer of the Android phone that you have. :

• Go into the smartphone settings .
• Next, go to the Security section (this tab will depend on the software layer of your terminal).
• Click on the Fingerprint option and enter your PIN or password.
• Within this menu, you will have to delete the ones you had registered.
• Finally, configure it from scratch .
• Then, we place the finger we want in the place where the reader is.
• In this process, we have to repeatedly lift the finger and place it until the recognition is complete.
• To do this, all lines must be complete.

Once we finish the process and we are inside this menu, we can check the fingerprints that we have added within this smartphone functionality. In this way, we will go on to check first-hand if the mobile reader, whether it is on the screen, on the side or on the back of the mobile, works again or continues to cause problems on the device.

Add more than one footprint

If we still have the same problem with a single fingerprint, we can store the same finger in different positions as many times as necessary. This mechanism will be of great help to us so that the problems do not repeat themselves. Although initially it was created to add different fingers of the hand and be able to unlock it with the left or right hand in the desired position, it is a resource that we recommend. Therefore, we will have to put the same finger in several positions and thus ensure its correct operation and unlocking just as fast, but more effective.

In the same way, you should try a second fingerprint , that is, with a finger from the opposite hand to the one you have already configured by default. Or from the same hand. But, in any case, that it is different from the fingerprint that you had already registered. In this way, we will be able to check if it is only the fault of a finger, or if it is a problem of the hardware or software of the Android device.

place your finger well

You may not have fallen for this, but there are times when we have ended up placing our finger incorrectly on the fingerprint reader, causing it to not be able to read the fingerprint, causing us to not be able to unlock the smartphone. For this reason, it will always be essential to place the finger on the fingerprint sensor correctly, in the same way in which, at the time, we recorded said fingerprint.

And not only this, but you also have to take into account the type of sensor or its location. Basically, because there are times when its precision will not always be the best, as has been seen in different smartphone models. This may require multiple attempts in some cases. However, this does not mean that the fingerprint sensor of the phone does not work, but that its precision is not the best or that we are placing the finger in a position that is not correct , so this is what is not prevents the fact of unlocking the terminal.

In addition, another of the most common errors that we find, and that has probably happened to all of us, is that we are using the finger that we did not have registered in the mobile tool. In its day, you decided to register the index finger in your fingerprint reader, but you are trying to unlock the phone using another, or the one from the other hand. Therefore, this is something that we must also pay attention to so as not to end up thinking that it works poorly or that the reader does not even respond.

Doesn’t work or does it wrong

This biometric component that comes in almost all terminals can fail in many different ways. Although, in general, the problems that we are going to encounter are the ones that we will see below. But, they are not the only ones, since it should not be ruled out for now that it is a software error or that the mobile’s fingerprint sensor has been damaged.

Dirt, the first enemy

The passage of time is often synonymous with dirt and dust , and our mobile is a fertile field for it to accumulate, if not we are one of those users who, from time to time, clean their device. Keep in mind that dirt is more likely to make a dent in a side or rear fingerprint sensor than in one that is integrated into the screen of the Android device itself.

This accumulation of dust and dirt makes the reader less accurate over time, as it cannot correctly read our biometric data. It is very possible that it refers to a reading error, or that it directly fails to read anything. Another sign is that the reading can be erratic or that sometimes it reads the print and sometimes not. As would happen if we have the dirty finger that we had registered, since it would be more difficult for him to read the fingerprint.

Scratches and scratches

They are again logical ailments of the passage of time, and that in this case affects equally, whatever the location of the fingerprint sensor. The scratches on the fingerprint sensor generate micro scratches, or sometimes larger scratches, which affect the sensitivity of the sensor. This problem is more pronounced in the rear sensors.

However, it can also occur on the screens, which end up suffering damage in the area dedicated to sensor reading. Therefore, we cannot rule out this problem. Well, over time it is normal that, with daily use, this type of inconvenience appears in the smartphone reader.

bumps and falls

We apply the same principle to the bumps and falls that the mobile device may have suffered. It is not strictly necessary that a phone already have some time to suffer bumps and falls, but it is more likely that it has been dropped more times if we have had it for a long time. Although, if it has not suffered any type of blow and it does not work, we already warned you that this will not be the problem.

It is clear that any type of blow can affect the fingerprint sensor of the smartphone, wherever it is located. Occasionally, internal damage occurs that eventually affects the biometric sensor connection. In this case, it is very likely that we will need technical help. Well, since it is a hardware problem, it will be very difficult for us to be able to replace it on our own without the help of an expert.

Screen saver fault

The truth is that, since the fingerprint reader is under the panel , if we put some type of protector that is not of high quality, it can interfere with the proper functioning of the device’s panel fingerprint reader. That is why, if it doesn’t work well for you, or you can’t even make it respond, the culprit could be the protector it is wearing.

Therefore, to find out if this is the main culprit, we will have to remove it and test if the sensor works again without problems. If it responds well, you already know that the protector we had on the terminal was not fully compatible with the fingerprint reader on your smartphone. And it is that, if the protection that we have bought is too thick, it could affect its proper functioning .

Is it the fault of the software?

After a while, our mobile will be much more full of applications than at the beginning. It is possible that the permissions granted to some of these apps can negatively affect the performance of the fingerprint sensor. There are hundreds of applications that request our permission so that we can log in with the fingerprint , some may conflict with the method requested by the system and generate errors. For this reason, we are going to see different solutions in order to see if it is a software failure or not.

restart the mobile

Sometimes, due to the smartphone’s own cache, some of the different processes of the device can become totally ‘frozen’, preventing some other function of the smartphone from working correctly. For this reason, and although it seems like something of the most basic, it will be a good idea to try restarting the mobile before moving on to the following solutions.

The good thing about this action is that it will only take a few seconds and it can be done in different ways. Although, the fastest, will be pressing the power button and clicking on the option to turn off the phone. Finally, we must let it rest for about 20 or 30 seconds , before turning it on again.

Use safe mode

With Android’s safe mode, many users have managed to solve these bugs with the fingerprint sensor . And it is that, with this method we can find out if there is any application that could be preventing its use. With this mode it will be disabled so that we can use the reader again, as long as this was the problem.

Once we have verified it, we will only have to eliminate the last installed apps and make sure that it does not repeat itself in this way. Therefore, to access this mode on mobiles, what we must do is press the power button until the Android shutdown menu appears. And follow these steps:

• We press and hold the Restart option.
• It will ask us if we want to restart the phone in Safe Mode .
• Finally, we confirm the action.

Check for a system update

Mobile updates are very important so that possible security errors can be corrected , but also so that different aspects of all terminals are improved, such as the results of blocking terminals using a fingerprint. For this reason, it is time to check if we have any new version of the operating system pending. To do this, we must follow this quick and simple process:

• First, we must go to the mobile Settings app.
• Next, we will go down until we see the System option (in some cases we will directly find the System Updates option).
• Within this menu, tap on the Updates tab.
• Finally, we check if we have one available.

reset the phone

It is possible that a bad terminal software update or even some malware has infected the phone, causing the mobile’s fingerprint sensor to fail completely. In these cases, the last option will be to let the device be formatted. Although, before carrying it out, we recommend that you make a backup of all the data on the device.

After making the backup of the mobile, we can now restore the smartphone . However, the steps that we must follow will have small changes depending on the Android customization layers. Although, in general, the steps to follow are the following:

• Go to Terminal Settings .
• Tap on the System / Additional Settings section.
• Go to the Reset Options / Backup and reset tab.
• We choose Reset all phone data / Return to factory state.
• Tap on Clear all data .

Nothing works? The reader is damaged

If your mobile has fallen on occasion, it may have suffered some damage (cracks, broken screen, a button that fails…), but also the fingerprint reader could have been affected by this accident. Therefore, if there is any damage to it, if it is on the screen and it has a crack, it may stop working.

Therefore, if after all of the above, the mobile’s fingerprint reader still does not respond , we must go to a technical service to find the problem and correct it. The fault may not be in the display, but rather in the sensor itself in charge of reading our finger. So we will only have to go to this specialized service.

Of course, if it has suddenly started to give an error, and it is not due to a blow, fall or misuse , it could be covered by the guarantee. So it will be good for you to ask if it is still within the period to claim it and check if it covers the repair costs. In any case, if after having carried out all these methods it has not worked for you, we will have no other alternative than to go to the technical service.