Right now OnePlus is saying that you can only use screen protectors that it sells directly, or from yet-to-be-named partners that will certify that their protectors work with the new sensor. What OnePlus can't guarantee, though, is that any random screen protector you buy online will work the same way. The OnePlus 6T comes with a pre-installed plastic screen protector out of the box, so we know that the fingerprint sensor will work with this extra layer of plastic. By adding another layer to the equation, like a plastic or glass screen protector, it can affect the way the sensor "sees" your fingerprint - just like putting more layers of material in front of your camera lens. These in-display sensors work like a camera, with an actual image sensor that uses the light from the display panel to illuminate your fingerprint and capture an image that's compared to what was initially scanned. The fingerprint sensor is designed to work with a screen protector - but it's not a guarantee with every one you find.
One of the downsides, though, is that they're more finicky about what goes on above the sensor - the display panel and glass itself, to start, but also anything you put on top.
These new in-display units are beneficial because they don't take up as much room inside the phone, and don't require the rear design of the phone to be changed in order to accommodate the sensor. In-display fingerprint sensors are the way of the future, and they're slowly taking place of the capacitive sensors we all know and love. In the meantime, we're stuck with the worst of both worlds - a slow and potentially insecure fingerprint reader.This is a whole new world of fingerprint sensors
#ONEPLUS 6 FINGERPRINT HARDWARE NOT AVAILABLE UPDATE#
A software update eventually brought remedy, so we can only hope that Google is already working on a fix that will actually bring enhanced security to its Pixel phones. While a few of these reports could be ascribed to people activating Smart Lock, which automatically unlocks the phone in certain circumstances, a few complaints seemingly can't be traced back to this behavior.Ī similar problem plagued Samsung back in 2019, with its then brand-new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner on the S10 and Note10 not working well with cheap screen protectors that would lead the phones to unlock for any fingerprint. However, we've just reported on some isolated but troubling instances where Pixel 6 units unlock for other people's fingerprints, even though these fingers have never been set up. If Google was actually using "enhanced security algorithms" to ensure that it's really your fingerprint the Pixel 6 is seeing, the explanation would be satisfactory enough, and we would be happy with the trade-off this currently brings to the unlocking experience. The company further linked to a support page detailing a few troubleshooting tips, like how the fingerprint scanner is known to be unreliable in bright outdoor light and how screen protectors can hinder the authentication process.
In a response to a Tweet complaining about the fingerprint scanner ruining the experience for a Pixel owner, the Made by Google account replied that the "Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor utilizes enhanced security algorithms." Those could "take longer to verify or require more direct contact with the sensor" in some instances.