What to do if your smartphone's fingerprint reader doesn't work
Fingerprint reader doesn't work
The fingerprint sensor is a very useful feature that most smartphones have.
Some are in the front, others in the back, on the side and even under the screen; we can find them in all forms and in all locations.
If you have a smartphone with a fingerprint sensor and for some reason it fails you, this simple tutorial can help you.
Initial tip: configure it well
The same sounds silly to you, but I'd say it's the basis of this tutorial. A correct configuration will not leave the smartphone inaccessible.
When setting up the fingerprint, it will be good for you, if the wizard allows it, to set up several fingerprints just in case (with three I would say it's enough) and, above all, to set up an alternative password for what might happen.
Use it correctly!
It may seem absurd and possibly it is... Use the right finger! Just because your five fingers are the same ones you were born with doesn't mean you can use your little finger as if it were your thumb.
If you have configured the fingerprint with the thumb of your right hand, use that finger (the same thing works with your left thumb too, but I wouldn't play it) and, if possible, in the same angle in which you configured it.
Some sensors are able to recognize your finger regardless of the angle, if the correct one recognizes it.
This is known as recognizing it with a 360 degree angle, but not everyone has this virtue, so use it at the angle as exact as possible to the one used in the configuration.
Use the alternative password
After a certain number of failed attempts (they can be one, three, five...) you will be asked to enter the alternative password that you should have created when you set up your fingerprint.
If you didn't set a password in your day, it doesn't matter if you reset it, since the number of attempts will continue to be exhausted, so it's a good idea to take a few extra seconds to create a password.
Sign in with your Google Account
All is not lost. If you didn't create the alternate password when you set up your fingerprint, or it's so complicated that you can't remember what it was and just misspell it, you can use your Google Account.
All you have to do is log in and your smartphone will be unlocked. Just in case, for whatever reason, point your Google Account somewhere other than your smartphone: a piece of paper you have in sight, mark it on all your underwear or get a tattoo with your Google Account (the place where you want to do it already depends on you).
Use Samsung's Find my Mobile and Android Device Manager
If you own a Samsung smartphone, such as the brand new Galaxy s9, you can use Find My Mobile. To access this service you will need to register your smartphone and create an account on this service.
Please note that Find my Mobile will be used to retrieve data from your phone before formatting. As a tip, it is always advisable to register your phone on the Samsung website in case something unexpected happens.
If you don't have a Samsung smartphone, or you have one but don't want to use that service, you don't have to worry either, since you can use Android Device Manager for these functions, perfectly useful both to find your device and to erase the data from your phone. Any of these functions can be useful to erase data remotely, keep them in mind at all times.
It doesn't work in any way.
Your fingerprint sensor may not be failing, it may have directly broken down for some unknown cause.
Just in case, format your phone and try again to set your fingerprint (and don't forget the alternative password), and keep trying. If it still doesn't work, it's probably a hardware problem and you should send it to the technical service to have your smartphone repaired or replaced.
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