How to fix Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems

Although unlocking a phone with a fingerprint is no longer a novelty these days, Samsung improved on it with its ultra-sonic in-display fingerprint sensor. Instead of the traditional fingerprint scanner, the ultra-sonic in-display fingerprint sensor reads a fingerprint with sonic beams, improving accuracy and speed. Recently though, reports that this sensor is flawed have surfaced and Samsung has responded with a software patch. If you have fingerprint scanner problems on your Galaxy Note10, you must check for updates first before doing any other troubleshooting steps. If you’ve already done that, then other troubleshooting steps are necessary. Learn what you can do about this problem below.

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How to fix Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems 

If you have fingerprint scanner problems on your Galaxy Note10, there are a number of factors that you want to check to fix it. This article will show you how to do that.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #1: Check for system updates

Samsung has recently admitted that there’s a serious flaw in the fingerprint scanner of Galaxy S10 and Note10 models. Basically, the issue stems from a claim of one user that her husband was able to unlock her Galaxy S10 with his fingerprint even though he never added his fingerprints on the device. Samsung found out that the issue is caused by a third party screen cover that fooled the ultra-sonic in-display fingerprint sensor. At this point, Samsung is saying that S10 and Note10 users must install the latest software patch to fix this problem. That said, we highly recommend that you check for a system update for your Galaxy Note10 to potentially fix whatever fingerprint scanner problems you’re having your device.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #2: Remove plastic cover/screen protector

If you have unexplained Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems or if the scanner appears sluggish in detecting your finger, it might be due to a screen protector or cover. Try to remove the screen protector or the cover that came with the device to see if that will improve the situation. 

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #3: Place fingers properly over sensor

The fingerprint scanner is located a little lower below the middle portion of the screen. If your finger is way below that portion, the scanner may not be able to make a full scan of your finger. Make sure that you put the finger exactly over the portion where the scanner is located. The screen will show a fingerprint indicator if you miss the optimal position so just reposition your finger over the spot and you should be good.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #4: Delete and re-add fingerprints

In some cases, refreshing the list of saved fingerprints can fix a misbehaving fingerprint scanner. First, try to delete the saved fingerprints. Here’s how:

  1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Tap Biometrics and security.
  4. Tap Fingerprints. If prompted, enter the current PIN, password, or pattern.
  5. Select the fingerprint to remove. To select all, touch and hold a fingerprint until selected then tap All (upper-left). When selected, a blue check mark will appear to the left of the fingerprint.
  6. Tap Remove (upper-right).
  7. To confirm, review the disclaimer then tap Remove.
  8. That’s it. You’ve now removed a fingerprint from your device.

Once you’ve removed all stored fingerprints, set fingerprint recognition up again. Prior to begin the setup, make sure that: 

  • your hands, especially the fingers you want to to add, are clean of dust, moisture, dirt, oil, lotion, dyes, etc. 
  • you have your screen unlock option (PIN, Pattern, or Pattern) ready.

Below are the steps on how to add additional fingerprints on Galaxy Note10+:

  1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Tap Lock screen.
  4. From the ‘Looking for something else?’ section, tap Fingerprints. If prompted, enter the current PIN, password, or pattern.
  5. Tap Add fingerprint. If prompted, enter the current PIN, password, or pattern.
  6. Follow the on-screen tutorial to scan your fingerprint. Repeat this step as necessary until the process is complete.
  7. Tap DONE (lower-right).
  8. That’s it! You’ve now registered another fingerprint. If you want to add more, just repeat Steps 1-8.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #5: Increase touchscreen sensitivity

If the touchscreen is lagging or unresponsive, you can improve sensitivity. You can do this if you noticed that touchscreen has deteriorated as the fingerprint scanner stopped working properly. 

Touchscreen problems usually occurs if there’s a physical problem with the screen, like when after dropping your Note10, or when it’s water damaged. If you think that the touchscreen is caused by broken hardware, we suggest that you let Samsung examine the phone instead of continuing with the troubleshooting below.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #6: Check fingerprint scanner on Safe Mode

In case the fingerprint scanner problems started after a new app has been installed, try restarting your Galaxy Note10 and see what happens. All third party apps are suspended on Safe Mode so you can’t open them. They’re temporarily blocked by the system so if fingerprint scanner works normally, you can assume there’s a bad third party app in your device. You can then narrow down the possible bad app.

Follow these steps below on how to safe mode your Note10.

  1. Press and hold the Power button until the Power off window appears then release.
  2. Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode prompt appears then release.
  3. To confirm, tap Safe mode.
  4. The process may take up to 30 seconds to complete.
  5. Upon reboot, “Safe mode” appears in the lower-left of the home screen.

Remember that third-party applications are disabled in this mode so what you can use are pre-installed apps. If the problem is non-existent on safe mode, that means that the problem is due to a bad app. Uninstall the app you recently installed and see if that will fix it. If the problem remains, use the process of elimination to identify the rogue app. Here’s how:

  1. Boot to safe mode.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
  4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
  5. If your Galaxy Note10+ is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #7: Refresh System Cache

Sometimes, an Android’s system cache can become corrupted and cause problems. This happens after an update or app installation. If you haven’t checked this yet, make sure to clear the cache partition. This will delete the system cache and potentially fix the issue. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby / Power key.
  3. When the green Android logo displays, release both keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
  5. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  6. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  7. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  8. Press the Power button to confirm the action to clear the cache.
  9. Wait for a second as the system wipes the cache.
  10. Press the Power button again to reboot the device. This will return the device to the normal interface.
  11. That’s it!

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #8: Reset app preferences

Some apps need default apps and services in order to work. If these necessary apps or services are disabled for some reason, an app that requires them to work may stop running altogether, or stop working properly. To ensure that default apps and services are enabled, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  4. Select Reset app preferences.
  5. Restart your Galaxy Note10+ and check for the problem.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #9: Factory reset

The final software solution that you can try in this case is factory reset. Wiping the software is usually effective if the reason for a problem is due to a software bug. Learn how to factory reset below.

Below are the two ways to factory reset your Note10:

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10+ via Settings Menu

This is the easiest way to wipe your Galaxy Note10+. all you have to do is to go under Settings menu and follow the steps below. We recommend this method if you have no trouble going under Settings.

  1. Create a backup of your personal data and remove your Google account.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Scroll to and tap General management.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
  6. Read the information then tap Reset to continue.
  7. Tap Delete All to confirm action.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10+ using hardware buttons

If your case is that the phone is not booting up, or it boots but Settings menu is inaccessible, this method can be helpful. First, you need to boot the device to Recovery Mode. Once you successfully access Recovery, that’s the time that you begin proper master reset procedure. It may take some tries for you before you can access Recovery so be patient and simply try again.

  1. If possible, create a backup of your personal data ahead of time. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  2. Also, you want to make sure that you remove your Google account. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  3. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
  4. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby / Power key.
  5. When the green Android logo displays, release both keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
  7. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  8. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  9. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  10. Press the Power button to confirm the action to clear your phone data.

Galaxy Note10 fingerprint scanner problems fix #10: Repair

So far, there’s been no reports of repair being necessary for fingerprint scanner problems unless the phone has been physically damaged. However, if nothing gets fixed after a factory reset, the fingerprint scanner problems you’re having may be unique to your Galaxy Note10. We highly recommend that you visit your local Samsung store or Service Center for a fix.

 


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