Samsung's side-mounted fingerprint scanners for Galaxy smartphones are arguably better, faster, and more accurate than in-display solutions, but they have one problem. Being embedded in the side button is both a convenience and a curse. These side-mounted sensors are fast, but they're prone to accidental touches whenever the user's registered fingerprint brushes against the side key.
This can be an issue, especially since the phone locks out the user for 30 seconds after five incorrect fingerprint scans. Or it can lead to accidental unlocks inside one's pocket. Fortunately, Samsung thought ahead, and there is a way to avoid these types of accidental fingerprint scanner touches.
How to minimize accidental fingerprint sensor touches on a Galaxy phone
Samsung's One UI has a fingerprint sensor option baked in that determines whether the sensor should work independently from the display and always scan for fingerprints even when the screen is turned off. Disabling this can prevent accidental touches. It works for both side-mounted scanners and in-display ones, even though the latter are much less prone to accidental input.
To turn this feature off, open the “Settings” app on your phone and access the “Biometrics and security” menu. Next, access the “Fingerprints” section and enter your pattern or code. And finally, disable the “Fingerprint always on” toggle.
Once this option is disabled, Galaxy smartphone users will have to press the side key and turn the screen on first before they can use the fingerprint scanner to unlock their device. You can see how disabling this option can yield positive results, especially for devices that have side-mounted fingerprint sensors.
Again, it's worth pointing out that this option is available for nearly every Galaxy device that is equipped with a fingerprint scanner, regardless of whether it's embedded in the display or the side key.
Therefore, you can also try to disable the “Fingerprint always on” option if you're experiencing accidental fingerprint touches inside your pocket for Samsung smartphones that are equipped with in-display sensors. Your mileage might vary, but you can test and find what works best for you.
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