Google’s new flagship phones — the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro — have impressed everyone because of their performance, camera, and a whole lot of features in Android 12. However, the phones, like any other new device, have come with a couple of issues. One of those issues that users have discovered this week is related to the Pixel 6 series’ fingerprint scanner.
According to some early Pixel 6 buyers, changing the display animation speed on Pixel 6 series handsets breaks the fingerprint scanner in part on the always-on display. Several users found that after customizing their devices, the fingerprint icon would disappear when the phone was on its always-on display. However, the fingerprint icon and its functionality came back once the screen was fully turned on.
How to Fix “Broken” Fingerprint Scanner in Pixel 6
As the issue was reported online, a thread on Reddit highlighted that this wasn’t an issue with Google’s software. But it was a problem that arises from changing some of the advanced settings. The thread notes that changing the animation speed in Developers options on Pixel 6 can mess up the phone’s fingerprint sensor as an unintended after-effect. More specifically, if you change the “Animation duration scale” under “Developer options,” the always-on display (AOD) “breaks” in part and stops showing the fingerprint sensor icon, and in turn, its functionality. It also stops showing the battery/charging status on the Pixel 6 series.
There’s a simple fix for this issue. All you need to do is just reset the animation duration scale option to its default state of 1x. The users who haven’t changed the display animation speed on their Pixel 6 will not have any fingerprint scanner issue on AOD. Note that developer options are meant for developers and not the average user, so it’s better to keep away from developer options if you’re not a developer.
