Google details why the Pixel 6’s fingerprint sensor is slow, but we’re not satisfied with the explanation

The company cites extra strong security despite reports claiming people can enter phones with

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are pretty much the best phones Google has ever released, but there are a few issues, like the new in-display fingerprint reader replacing the back-mounted solution of old. It isn’t exactly the fastest on either phone, with it often taking some extra time to authenticate your biometric details. As spotted by Engadget, Google has come forward with an explanation, though we’re not exactly happy with it.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

A 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. 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. In the meantime, we’re stuck with the worst of both worlds — a slow and potentially insecure fingerprint reader.

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