Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Galaxy S23 users are reporting an issue with the fingerprint sensor after updating to One UI 6.1.
- The sensor responds after multiple attempts.
- Given that the problem is common across all user reports, it’s likely a bug that Samsung should be able to squash with another update.
Samsung rolled out the highly anticipated Galaxy AI features to the Galaxy S23 series with its One UI 6.1 update. However, the software hasn’t been a bed of roses for customers. Not only did it remove the old gesture navigation system from updated phones, for which Samsung is receiving a lot of flak, but it also seems to be causing widespread issues with the fingerprint sensor on the S23 series.
Multiple threads on Reddit show the extent to which the fingerprint sensor issue is affecting Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, S23 Ultra, and S23 FE units updated with One UI 6.1.
Some users are reporting that the sensor takes a few seconds to respond, while others say it has to be pressed twice to unlock the phone.
“There is no error whatsoever, the fingerprint icon animation re-appears once I touch the screen and I have to touch that part again to get the phone unlocked; it feels like my touch restarts the fingerprint sensor or the sensor basically ignores my finger being there and forces me to lift my finger and touch that part again, without giving me any sort of errors,” wrote a user.
The issue seems to be affecting only Galaxy S23 series users as of now. Since the nature of the problem is common across reports, it’s likely a bug that Samsung will be able to squash in the coming days or weeks.
According to one user, turning off the animation for the fingerprint sensor seems to fix the problem. You can do this by heading to Settings > Security and privacy > Biometrics > Fingerprints and toggling off the “Show animation when unlocking option.”
