Fingerprint scanners offer a convenient and secure way to unlock smartphones, but they don’t always scan for fingerprints actively. This is typically an issue with under-display fingerprint scanners, as the screen often needs to be woken up before the device activates the scanner.
All Pixel phones with under-display fingerprint scanners operate this way. However, this is about to change for the better, at least for the upcoming Google Pixel 9.
Earlier today, Google released the second developer preview of Android 16. While exploring the update on my Pixel 9 Pro, I discovered a new setting called “Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock.”
This option can be found under Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Fingerprint Unlock. The description for this setting states that it allows users to “use Fingerprint Unlock even when the screen is off.”
The Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock feature works exactly as described on my Pixel 9 Pro running Android 16 DP2. Here’s a brief video demonstrating the feature in action:
After publishing this article, we found that the Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock setting does not appear on older Pixel phones running Android 16 DP2.
Further investigation into the code for the Settings app revealed that this feature will only be available on phones equipped with an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanner. This means that only the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL will have access to this setting.
If you’re not keen on installing Android 16 DP2 on your Pixel 9 just to try out this feature or if you own an older Pixel device, there are other options you can enable.
You can try settings like “Always show time and info,” “Lift to check phone,” or “Tap to check phone,” which can be found under Settings > Display & touch > Lock screen.
The first setting ensures that the fingerprint sensor is always active, as the always-on display keeps the screen continuously on.
The second setting allows the fingerprint sensor to scan your finger as soon as you lift the phone. The third setting requires only a tap to wake the screen, which then activates the fingerprint scanner.
Android 16 DP2 also introduces 7 new emojis from Unicode 16.0, along with several new features for developers. We are still exploring the update to uncover more new features, so stay tuned for additional coverage!
