- Android 16 DP2 on Pixel 9 adds a new Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock option.
- When enabled, it allows users to unlock their devices even when the screen is completely off.
- This should be a useful feature for those who don’t want to use AOD because of battery woes but want the Fingerprint to always be active.
Pixel 9 series was the first set of Pixel devices to get ultrasonic fingerprint sensors for faster unlock and better accuracy. However, like on most phones, users need to wake up the screen before they can use their finger to unlock the device unless the always-on display is enabled. Well, that’s changing with the Pixel 9 series as Google has added an option to unlock using their Pixel 9’s fingerprint sensor even when the screen is off.
In the Android 16 Developer Preview 2 that Google rolled out today, there’s a new Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock toggle on the Fingerprint Unlock page with the description “Use Fingerprint Unlock even when the screen is off”.
As the name suggests, this keeps the Fingerprint sensor active even when the screen is completely off. Users can then roughly predict where the fingerprint scanner is, and place and scan their registered finger to easily unlock the device without waking the screen up first.
Unfortunately, this only seems to work with the Pixel 9 ( review ) series and will probably be exclusive to the series because it sports an Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor. However, users with older Pixel devices can still unlock when the screen is off (technically) by enabling the Always-on display from Settings > Display > Lock screen > Always show time and info . Mind you, Always-on affects battery life.
The Screen-off fingerprint unlock is definitely a great feature for those who don’t use AOD but still want to unlock the device without tapping and waking it up, especially when it’s lying flat on a table.
Abubakar covers Tech at Beebom, with his passion for technology tracing back to 2011 when he received a Dell Inspiron 5100 as a gift. He’s also a passionate advocate for the right-to-repair movement, believing in empowering users to maintain and extend the life of their devices. Outside the tech world, he enjoys watching anime and exploring his newfound enthusiasm for Japanese cars. In his free time, you’ll often find him immersed in Genshin Impact or researching his next gadget purchase. Before joining Beebom, he contributed to leading publications like Android Police, How-To Geek, and Fossbytes.
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