Getting an expensive phone like the Samsung Galaxy S series and encountering problems with basic functions is quite annoying. Unfortunately, many owners report fingerprint scanning to be quite a common issue with their phones.
Whether it’s the fingerprint sensor not recognizing your own fingerprint or the phone not responding to your touch input, here are the common fixes to help you solve this fingerprint issue in Galaxy S22:
Tip 1: Clean Your Fingers and Screen
Sometimes, the problem is as simple as your finger or screen being too dirty! In that case, all you need to do is to clean both and try again.
You can use a microfiber cloth and even a specialized screen cleaner to wipe down your screen without causing any scratches on the glass. Once you’re done, simply try again.
If that doesn’t work, then read on.
Tip 2: Check Your Screen Protector
The fingerprint sensor can also be hampered by the very screen protector of your phone. If it’s too thick or damaged, it could affect all sorts of touch input altogether, especially your fingerprint sensor.
When that happens, you might want to look at replacing the screen protector. Apply some heat via a hair dryer at the lowest setting, taking care to move it back and forth to avoid overheating any particular area.
Pry it off by sliding something thin and sturdy like an old credit card or guitar pick at the corner and remove it fully, taking care not to damage the screen. Clean off the remaining adhesive with microfiber cloth and some warm water and try again.
Tip 3: Restart Your Phone
If the two tips above don’t work, restarting your phone might do the trick!
Just in case you’re not familiar with your Galaxy S22, all you have to do is swipe down from the top of your screen until you see the power button that gives you the option to restart your phone. Press it and restart the phone.
Once the phone restarts, simply wait for it to boot back up and see if the fingerprint issue in Galaxy S22 still occurrs.
Tip 4: Register Your Biometrics Again
If rebooting doesn’t work, you may need to register your fingerprint again.
Usually, this is because you may have initially registered a dirty fingerprint. But now that your fingers are clean, it’s no longer recognized by the system.
To register your fingerprint again, swipe up, opening your Samsung’s app drawer. Then, click ‘Settings’ or the icon with the gear on.
Scroll down and find ‘Biometrics and Security’ and click on that. You may be prompted to enter your security lock.
After that, click ‘Add Fingerprint’ and scan your fingerprint until the meter shows 100%. Try different angles on one finger in order to give your fingerprint sensor bigger headroom in scanning the pattern.
You may want to do this for multiple fingers in case you want a backup for opening your phone.
Tip 5: Add the Same Finger Twice
Alternatively, you may consider adding the same finger twice in order to fully cover your bases. Your Samsung Galaxy S22 should allow up to five fingers to be registered, giving you even more options.
Tip 6: Update Your Samsung and Software
A pending update could also cuase some of your phone’s functions to not work properly. Installing security updates will be essential to keep your phone from encountering bugs from day-to-day use.
Simply swipe up to open the App drawer and head back to ‘Settings’. Navigate to ‘System Updates’ and you should be able to see if there are any pending software and security updates you may want to install.
Install them and wait for a couple of minutes for the download to finish. Your phone may restart in order to implement them and from there, you can try accessing your phone again.
Tip 7: Wipe the Cache Partition
This step may seem complicated, but don’t worry, it’s not. You could be encountering fingerprint issues because your device cache may almost be full.
This can lead to an overall slowdown in your device across the board including your fingerprint sensor. You might encounter lags and bugs on your other apps as well.
- First, you’ll need to plug your phone into a computer to wipe out the temporary cache. Once it’s plugged in, follow the same steps as restarting the phone but this time, choose the ‘Power Off’ button.
- Once it fully turns off as indicated by a slight vibration of the phone, immediately hold down the physical power and volume up buttons at the same time until the Samsung logo appears on the screen again.
- Your Samsung Galaxy S22 will then boot up to the recovery mode which is just a black screen with a handful of colored lines of text. (Note that at this point, the touch screen doesn’t work so you’ll have to use the volume rockers to navigate and the power button to confirm what you select.)
- Unplug your phone from the computer.
- Navigate to ‘Wipe Cache Partition’ and confirm. Click ‘Yes’, and your phone should take you back to the screen.
- After that, click ‘Reboot system now’ and your phone should activate back to the normal lock screen.
- Try your fingerprint scanner again and see if it finally unlocks your phone.
Tip 8: Hard Reset Your Samsung Galaxy S22
Next step you can try is to perform a hard reset on your phone. This should restore your phone back to the state it was in when it left the factory, removing any apps you installed and settings you adjusted.
Do the same steps you did in order to enter the recovery mode you used to wipe out the cache partition above. This time, navigate to ‘Wipe Data/Factory Reset’ and confirm that with your power key.
You should see a message saying ‘Data wipe complete’ at the button. Then, you just need to click ‘Reboot system now’ and wait.
The process may take some time, around two to five minutes so don’t worry if it takes a while to boot back up. Once it does, you just need to follow the same prompts that you did when you first got your new phone.
It can be a bit of a hassle to set your phone up again this way but a hard reset can be useful in accessing your phone when you encounter a fingerprint issue on Galaxy 22 and have forgotten your pattern or other means of opening your phone.
Tip 9: Repair Your Android System via a Repair App
If you still have a fingerprint issue on Galaxy S22 series, you can also look at installing an ‘Android System Repair App’ from the app store, which can help you fix things such as app crashes, fingerprint issues, and many others.
Choose from apps such as Android Repair or Phone Doctor Plus based on the features you want. After installation, you just need to follow the prompts that they display in order to start the repair process.
What Are the Main Causes of Fingerprint Issues on Galaxy 22 Series?
Understanding the root cause of the issue may help avoid further problems with the fingerprint sensor in the future. With that, here are the most common reasons for users encounter Samsung’s ‘fingerprint sensor not working’ issue:
Dirty or Wet Fingers
Having excessive oil, dirt, or even water on your fingers could blur your fingerprint, making it harder for your Samsung Galaxy’s sensor to pick up on your input. This can usually lead to the problem of your fingerprint not being recognized by the phone.
Hardware Issues
A hard drop or a damaged screen could have also led to damage to the phone’s internals, including its sensors. If that happens, your phone’s biometric fingerprint unlock may just refuse to work and acknowledge your touch.
Software Patch
Sometimes, some software bugs prevent programs and functions from working as they should. Manufacturers tend to fix these problems with a patch that you can apply on your phone.
Try to always keep your phone up to date with its latest security patches in order to avoid issues with not just your fingerprint scanners, but also with other apps in the system.
Getting locked out of using your favorite apps by a fingerprint issue in Galaxy 22 series can be quite an inconvenience. Fortunately, you do have some options you can try before making the trip to your nearest service center.
We hope these tips were useful in helping you regain access to your device. Good luck and enjoy the features of your new phone.
