Nexus 5X and 6P owners report fingerprint sensor issues after update

Google looking into fix for Nexus 5X, 6P fingerprint issues

By Julian Chokkattu March 21, 2016

LG Nexus 5X — Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

A recent March security over-the-air update may have left fingerprint sensors on Google’s Nexus 5X and 6P a little finicky.

The monthly updates are normal, and are a push from Google to offer more frequent security updates for its devices, but it’s not supposed to affect Nexus Imprint. Phandroid writer Derek Ross posted his issues after the update to Google+ and received quite a few responses from other Nexus 5X and 6P owners. Other Google+ users and Redditors are chiming in, saying their fingerprint sensors haven’t been working like normal after the update.

Updated on 03-21-2016 by Julian Chokkattu: Added a statement from Google.

A representative from Google says the product team has been able to “reproduce the issue” and are now looking into offering a fix.

The issue is that sometimes, the fingerprint sensor essentially stops working. It doesn’t offer any feedback via haptics or any sign in the OS that it’s not recognizing a finger — it doesn’t respond at all. It’s taking people are few tries to get into their phone with their fingerprint sensor. It doesn’t always happen on these devices, and the issue isn’t widespread — some users who received the update don’t have any problems.

In the meantime, unlocking your device via passcode and relocking it can temporarily fix the issue, but the problem could still persist. A simple phone restart worked for some users, and Phandroid says some users recommend disabling Doze mode could completely fix the issue, but we haven’t been able to confirm it.

If these workarounds don’t help, your best bet is to unlock your phone like you used to with your passcode until Google offers a fix for the problem.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Julian Chokkattu

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…

Mobile

The 6 worst LG smartphones of all time, ranked

LG G Flex2

In case you haven’t heard, we will soon bid farewell to the mobile division of LG. Needless to say, this is a difficult time for all of us. To help us cope with the loss, and perhaps come to grips with its absence, we’re gathered here today to reminisce about LG’s absolute worst entries in the smartphone market.

Feeling less cynical, and more appreciative? Don’t worry, I’ve got a list of LG's best phones for you, too.
No. 6: Google Nexus 5X

Mobile

The 6 best LG smartphones of all time, ranked

FM Radio

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you somehow aren’t already aware, LG is officially exiting the mobile world. In our business, news like this is never worth celebrating. Competition breeds innovation, and LG’s mobile forays were nothing if not innovative. And so, what better way to honor its decadeslong contributions than by waxing nostalgia over its best devices of all time? Or perhaps you grieve differently, preferring instead to examine the uglier side of the LG’s legacy? I’ve got that covered, too.
No. 6: LG V20

While its older sibling, the V10, had a lot of bark and little bite, the V20 offered some truly unrivaled features. Though not the first phone with a focus on audio quality, it brought to the table LG’s very first Quad DAC as well as three microphones that together enabled high-fidelity audio recording and playback as well as support for FLAC files. All of that might sound buzzy and confusing for the uninitiated, but for audiophiles, this is what has made LG the only manufacturer worth supporting for much of its later years.

Mobile

Google’s Pixel 4 could have looked like the Nexus 6P

pixel 4 nexus 6p

Google's next phone has officially been unwrapped, but for several months we already knew what the Pixel 4 was going to look like courtesy of extensive leaks, as well as a tweet from Google itself that showed off the design. Now, we also have an idea of the other concepts and styles Google's design team was thinking about as it was visualizing the Pixel 4, thanks to exclusive photos shared with Digital Trends.

These photos were provided as a part of a larger interview with the Google's Consumer Hardware design team -- you can read the whole story here -- but take a look at the above picture and you can see various other concept sketches for the rear design.