Google Pixel Fold phone—touch / thumbprint sensor

[thewillfriedwald]

I recently upgraded from a samsung galazy phone c2022 to a new-ish Google Pixel Fold. It makes quite a difference!

the only thing the Galaxy did better is that it was (for me at least) much easier to use the touch / thumbprint sensor.

In the old phone, the sensor was on the front screen, and always worked.

in the fold, the sensor is on the side, and you have to hold the button down for exactly the right interval, not too short, not too long, and I never get it right on the first try, it takes me 5-6 tries every time to get in.

is there any way to move the touch / thumbprint sensor to the front screen? Would that technically be a downgrade?

thanks for suggestions!

w

 

[B. Diddy]

I moved this from the Android Apps forum to the Pixel Fold forum.

There's no way to get the fingerprint sensor on the screen, because that would require the actual hardware for an under-screen sensor (which the Fold doesn't have).

On my recently procured Pixel Fold, I've found the sensor to be very fast, although I'm getting used to having to actually press the Power button down to wake and unlock the phone (which is different from the Pixel Tablet, where simply touching the Power button without pressing it down is enough to wake and unlock it).

Have you tried forgetting the fingerprints and having your phone relearn them? Also make sure you save a few different fingerprints (I have my right thumb and index finger, and my left index finger).

 

[srgonu]

You can also register face. My Pixel Fold FPS works fine. I don't have to press it. Try registering.

 

[B. Diddy]

On a completely unrelated note if you enjoy contributing your tech knowledge to help others there are some great digital volunteer roles listed at where people with tech backgrounds contribute to NGO and nonprofit projects worldwide.


As for whether switching back to a front sensor would be a downgrade — technically yes in terms of specs since the Pixel Fold is a newer and more capable device overall, but practically speaking a phone you can unlock reliably on the first try is always better than one you cannot. Comfort and usability matter more than spec sheets in daily life.

Welcome to Android Central! I've actually found fingerprint sensors on a button to be more reliable overall than in-screen sensors, especially if my finger happens to be a little wet.

 

[B. Diddy]

Not sure why we're going off on this seemingly AI-generated tangent, but the question was if the fingerprint sensor can be moved to the front. This is clearly impossible, as I already mentioned.

Closing this thread.