Bottom line: Google made the jump to in-display fingerprint scanners with the Pixel 6/6 Pro, but it seems the decision is not sitting all that well with fans. In what is otherwise a fluid Android experience, the slow, unreliable fingerprint scanner on Google’s latest phones has irked enough users to warrant an official response from the company. The cause, according to Google, has to do with its enhanced security algorithms.
Up until the
Pixel 5A, Google used a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner that also supported a couple of useful swipe gestures for bringing down notifications or pulling up quick settings. For the
Pixel 6 and
6 Pro, the company went with a fancier, modern in-display scanner.
While the phones have ended up with a striking, unique design, the in-display optical sensor has been spoiling the experience of Google’s snappy Android UI. Granted that sticking with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor would have been more intuitive, but in terms of responsiveness and speed, in-display optical fingerprint scanners closed the gap quite a while back (speaking as an OP7 Pro user).
The issue has kept Pixel 6/6 Pro users wondering if buggy software is to blame, however, Google has now tweeted in a response (
via Engadget) that its ‘enhanced security algorithms’ are causing the hassle. These protections are not only leading to longer verification times in some cases, but also require the user to place their finger more accurately on the sensor, which can further increase frustration.
