News > Phones Pixel 6 Update Improves Fingerprint Scanner The update was made specifically to address the issue By Joshua Hawkins Joshua Hawkins Twitter Freelance Technology Reporter Full Sail University Josh Hawkins is a freelance writer for Lifewire who loves writing about the latest tech and gadgets that help make people’s lives easier. As an avid gamer and VR enthusiast, he also enjoys diving deep into the technology that helps bring those kinds of experiences to life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on November 17, 2021 Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Phones Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Google released on a surprise update to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on Wednesday, which it claims should improve the performance of the under-display fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint scanner is a feature that users have been having issues with since the Pixel 6 released. Previously, Google blamed the lack of response and failures on “advanced security algorithms”. Now, though, it has released an unexpected update to address the performance of the sensor and you can download it right now. Google Under-display systems aren’t exactly new, though users have reported slow responses from the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Additionally, many users reported that the sensor failed to read their fingerprint sometimes, and we’ve even seen reports that Pixel 6 phones could be unlocked using someone else’s fingers. Reddit users have reported some success with the update making the fingerprint sensor more responsive when using screen protectors. However, many also reported that the scanner still fails often. Google did note that certain screen protectors can cause issues with the sensor, which is a problem we’ve seen with under-display scanners since companies like Samsung first began using them. This update seems to resolve some of the problems with the Pixel 6’s sensor. Lukenn Sabellano / Unsplash The update has been issued in two builds for Verizon-specific Pixel 6 models, as well as the international models. It should also roll out to other models soon. You can download the update directly from Google, or check your system settings for it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit