The Android 16 update for Google Pixel phones is set to introduce a new Screen-Off Fingerprint Unlock feature, Android Authority reports. This allows users to unlock their phones without waking the screen, making the process more convenient.
The feature was first discovered in the second developer preview of Android 16, initially limited to the Google Pixel 9 series. Google later expanded compatibility to all Pixel phones with the release of Beta 3, and Android Authority confirmed that the feature works on devices like the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 Pro. However, Google may remove the feature in the final stable release of Android 16, it noted.
When Screen-Off Fingerprint Unlock is enabled, the fingerprint scanner remains active even when the screen is off. Users can enable it by going to Settings > Security & Privacy > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Fingerprint Unlock, then toggling the Screen-Off Fingerprint Unlock option under the “When using Fingerprint Unlock” section.
It is unclear when Google plans to release Android 16 publicly, though it could debut around Google I/O in May or in the months following. For now, Pixel users will have to make do with the existing fingerprint unlock method, which requires waking the screen first.
(Source: Android Authority)
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