How to fix LG G5 Titan fingerprint scanner is missing issue

We’ve been getting reports of many LG devices missing their fingerprint scanner. Due to some of them are in good shape physically, we don’t attribute the problem to a hardware fault. Rather, we think that most of them are caused by a bad app or software glitch. Learn how to deal with this issue on an LG G5 Titan below.

Problem: LG G5 Titan fingerprint scanner is missing

The fingerprint scanner is not working on my LG G5 Titan phone. Not only is the scanner not working, but the option to delete and / or set it up is completely missing from set up and the settings. Reboot did not help. I spent 3 hours with three Verizon Tech Coaches who had me check for updates (I am current as of Nov 2018), Reset my Settings (did not work), back up my phone and do a factory reset (OMG – but did not work- still no fingerprint option in security settings). They decided they could not help and I need a new phone. I have Kapersky  mobile on my phone for a couple of years now and scan regularly for virus/malware. The on/off works fine, the number PIN works fine. Fingerprint sensor and associated settings just suddenly gone X 3 days now. Can think of no event or new software that could have disabled or interfered with the scanner or scanner settings. Trying to contact LG for assistance but so far unsuccessful. Any ideas?

Solution: There’s no known effective fix this issue that we’re aware of. There’s apparently no official word from LG about this as well so we simply gathered known workarounds shared by members of our Android community. Hopefully, one of them will work on this case.

Solution 1: Install updates

Some users were able to fix missing fingerprint scanner issue in the past by updating their firmware. If you haven’t tried this yet, be sure to check for any new software updates to see if it will work.

To update your LG G5:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Touch General.
3. Scroll to and touch About phone.
4. Touch Update Center.
5. Touch Software Update.
6. Touch Check now for update.
7. The phone will check for updates.
8. If an update isnʼt available, touch OK. If an update is available, wait for it to download.

Solution 2: Connect to PC

Another known way to easily fix the problem is by plugging your LG G5 device to a computer. Some users did find this effective so we recommend that you do it if the first solution won’t work. Be sure to use the original LG charging cable when doing this step.

Solution 3: Restart on hardware control mode

Restarting an LG device to hardware control mode sometimes help in fixing bugs. We suggest that you do this is the first two solutions above has not helped so far. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Turn off your phone.
2. Press and hold Power + Volume Up + Volume Down for 10 seconds until the phone boots into hardware control mode.
3. Press Power button once again to restart the phone.

Once you’ve restarted the phone to hardware control mode and restart it, the fingerprint scanner option should work again. If not, proceed to the next solution.

Solution 4: Check for bad third party app

Sometimes, bad or poorly coded third party app may interfere with Android causing problems. To see if you have a bad app issue, restart the phone to safe mode and observe. Here’s how it’s done:

1. With the screen on, press and hold the Power key.
2. In the options menu that displays, press and hold Power off.
3. ‘Restart in Safe mode’ prompt will display.
4. Tap OK to restart in Safe Mode.
5. Device will display ‘Safe mode’ at the bottom of the screen.
6. Check if the fingerprint scanner starts working again.

If the fingerprint function only works on safe mode, that means that the problem is caused by an app. To identify which of your apps is causing the trouble, you should boot the phone back to safe mode and follow these steps:

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 LG G5 is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Send the phone in (for repair)

Should none of the solutions work at all, that means that there may be a hardware malfunction causing the trouble. We suggest that you contact your local LG Service Center so they can take a look at your device.

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