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Pixel 6 Fingerprint Sensor Not Working: How to Fix

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor not working issue. The latest offerings from the Silicon Valley giant have bought in a plethora of new goodies. Right out of the box, you will notice a completely revamped design, which was literally the need of the hour for this series. Then there are quite a few nifty camera tweaks as well which is generally along the expected lines for this lineup.

Apart from that, you will now also be getting three years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches. Moreover, the sixth iteration has welcomed an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is a first for any Pixel device. However, as opposed to other flagships that have straightaway opted for the 3D ultrasonic scanner, Google decided to stick with the old 2D optical scanner. And this isn’t proving to be the right decision.

A slew of complaints are getting accrued where users have voiced their concerns that the under-display fingerprint scanner isn’t working along the expected lines. Considering the money being spent on purchasing these flagships, and the issue gets all the more worrisome. Well, if you are also getting bugged with this issue, then fret not. In this guide, we will make you aware of various methods that shall help you fix the Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor not working issue.

How to Pixel 6 Fingerprint Sensor Not Working

how to fix Pixel 6 Fingerprint Sensor Not Working

Do note that there’s no universal fix as such. You will have to try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and see which one works best in your favor. So keeping that in mind, let’s get started.

Add the Same Fingerprint Twice

An old trick out of the books, adding the fingerprint of the same finger twice or thrice will make the job of the scanner a little bit easier in reading those fine prints. So head over to Settings > Security and fill up two-three slots of fingerprints using the same finger. Then check out if it manages to fix the Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor not working issue.

Give it An Additonal Second

Optical under the hood fingerprints are a tad bit slower than the ultrasonic scanner. So bearing that fact in mind, consider giving an additional second to the scanner so that it is able to efficiently scan your prints.

Apply Optimal Pressure

While it isn’t documented anywhere as such, but these in-display fingerprints (especially the 2-D ones) work best when you apply the pressure in an increasing manner. However, the increase should be done gradually and lightly. So try it out and then see if it is able to fix the Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor not working issue.

Use Dry Hands

It’s no hidden secret that the scanner wouldn’t be able to read the fingerprints if your hands are wet. This is because the moisture would end up creating an additional layer between the scanner and your fingerprints, thereby preventing a successful scan. So make sure to remove such roadblocks before proceeding ahead.

Clean your Screen

Not only your hands but the screen should be cleaned as well, especially the bottom half of the screen where the scanner is located. Even the slightest of dust particles are enough to create hurdles in successful scans. So clean your screen via a cloth or fabric and then verify if the Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor not working issue has been fixed or not.

Use a compatible screen protector

Not all screen protectors are created equally! While they might cause any issues in the normal usage of the device, but they sure could cause conflict with the in-display fingerprint scanner. So if you ever plan to replace your Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection with a third-party one, make sure to go for a tried and trusted name.

Re-Add Your Fingerprint

Since the optical scanner flashes a bright light underneath to read your fingerprints, it might not have been able to register your fine prints correctly during the setup process. So consider removing the registered fingerprint via Settings > Security and then perform a re-scan to re-add your fingerprints. Check if this gives out any favorable results or not.

Install Pending Updates

While the software upgrades might not necessarily add new features to your device, they surely optimize and improve the overall functioning of the OS as well as your device. Along the same lines, they also iron out all the bugs and issues. So make sure to download and install all pending updates via Settings > System > System Update and then verify if it ends up rectifying the issue or not.

Give AI some time!

Well, Artificial Intelligence does take some time to adapt and adjust, after all. So on continued usage of these scanners, they will ultimately learn and optimize themselves according to the use case scenario. So consider letting go of the initial hiccups for a better journey ahead!

Contact Google

If none of the aforementioned tweaks managed to work out in your favor, then you should consider contacting Google and then chalk out the best route forward. We aren’t still implying that it’s a hardware issue, it’s just that contacting the manufacture will give you a clearer picture.

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor not working issue. We have listed out ten different fixes for the same. Do let us know in the comments section which one spelled out success for you. Likewise, if you were able to rectify this issue via any other tweak, then do share it with us via the comments.


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