Google says it’s improving fingerprint scanner performance with a Pixel 6 update

Google quietly rolled out a Pixel 6 update that addresses fingerprint scanner issues, as first reported by XDA Developers. The update details have been confirmed in a post on a Google Support page, which vaguely notes that it includes “minor bug fixes and some fingerprint sensor performance improvements for Pixel 6 and 6 Pro,” without really giving us any details about how the sensor was improved.

Dan Siefert called out the fingerprint reader in our reviews of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro last month, noting that it’s often finicky to use or slow to recognize your print. Google responded by saying that the scanner’s “enhanced security algorithms” may result in sluggish or unreliable performance. Google never really indicated whether the scanner’s performance had something to do with issues in the device’s software or hardware, and its initial response implied that the scanner was supposed to be slow for its security features to work properly.

But now that Google has rolled out an update, the issue might be software-related after all. To see if the update actually made a difference, I asked some of my colleagues at The Verge about their experiences with the fingerprint scanner after downloading the Pixel 6 update.