How To Fix Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Iris Scanner Stopped Working

Welcome to another installment of our troubleshooting series where we aim to help our readers who own the #Samsung #Galaxy #Note9 fix the issues that they are experiencing with their phone. This is the latest model in the Note line of devices released this year and is the best of the series so far. This phone sports a large 6.4 inch Super AMOLED display and uses the latest Snapdragon 845 processor with 8GB of RAM. Although this is a solid performing phone there are instances when issues can occur which we will be addressing today. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the Galaxy Note 9 iris scanner stopped working issue.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or any other Android device for that matter then feel free to contact us using this form. We will be more than happy to assist you with any concern that you may have with your device. This is a free service we are offering with no strings attached. We however ask that when you do contact us try to be as detailed as possible so that an accurate assessment can be made and the correct solution can be given.  

How To Fix Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Iris Scanner Stopped Working

Problem: When I wake the phone I get a message that says ‘can’t use face or iris scanner’. When I swipe, the phone won’t accept my pattern on the nine dot grid. I have not touched those settings recently. It worked the day before and the all of a sudden didn’t work. Luckily I also had the finger scanner set up. So, I can get into the phone, but when I go to the lock screen settings, it still won’t accept my nine dot access pattern…so I can’t even reset the lock screen options.

Solution: Before troubleshooting this problem it’s best to make sure that the phone is running on the latest software version. If an update is available then make sure to download and install it first. Once this is done proceed with the steps listed below.

Perform a soft reset

The first thing you should do in this case is to restart the phone by doing a soft reset. This will refresh the phone software which will usually fix this problem. To do a soft reset press both the volume down and power keys at the same time and hold them down together for 10 seconds. You may feel your phone vibrating at some point but only release both keys if the screen turns on.

Remove the screen protector

If your phone has a screen protector installed then try removing this as this might be interfering with the phone iris scanner. You should also make sure that the iris recognition camera on upper right side of the phone is free from any smudges. If necessary, clean the top part of the phone using a microfiber cloth.

Clear the cache and data of the Iris scanner

There are instances when  this problem can be caused by the cached data of the app becoming corrupt. To eliminate this possibility you will have to clear the cache and data of the iris scanner app.

  • From the Home screen, swipe up or down to access the Apps screen.
  • Tap Settings.
  • Tap  Apps.
  • Scroll to and touch the desired app.
  • Tap Storage.
  • Tap CLEAR CACHE.
  • Tap CLEAR DATA.
  • Tap Delete

Check if the issue occurs in Safe Mode

Another possible reason why this issue is happening is because an app you downloaded is interfering with the operation of the iris sensor. To check if this is what’s causing the problem you will have to start the phone in Safe Mode as only the pre-installed apps are allowed to run.

  • Turn the phone off.
  • Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen appearing on the screen.
  • When SAMSUNG appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  • Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  • Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  • When Safe mode appears in the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume down key.

If the problem does not occur in this mode then it could be caused by an app you downloaded. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.

Wipe the cache partition of the phone

Your phone will store the cached data of the apps in a special partition in its storage space.This will allow the phone to open the apps much faster. When this data gets corrupted it could lead to certain issues such as the one you are experiencing right now. To eliminate  this possibility you will need to wipe the cache partition of the phone from the recovery mode.

  • Turn off the phone.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Android logo displays, release all three keys.
  • An ‘Installing system update’ message will show for 30 – 60 seconds before the Android system recovery menu options appear.
  • Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe cache partition.
  • Press Power key to select.
  • Press the Volume down key to highlight yes, them and press the Power key to select.
  • When the wipe cache partition is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted.
  • Press the Power key to restart the device.

Perform a factory reset

You should consider doing a factory reset as a final resort. This will revert your phone back to its original factory condition. Take note that your phone data will be deleted in the process so make sure to make a backup copy before proceeding.

  • Turn off the phone.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  • Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
  • Press Power button to select.
  • Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  • Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  • When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  • Press the Power key to restart the device.

In case the above steps fails to fix the problem then this is most likely caused by a faulty hardware component already. The best thing to do right now is to bring the phone to a service center and have it checked.

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