TL;DR
- The latest Android 16 update brings back the Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock feature to Pixel phones.
- The feature was introduced in Android 16 DP2 for the Pixel 9 series, but later expanded to older Pixel models.
- It was mysteriously removed in subsequent Android 16 betas, but the latest stable QPR2 update reinstates it on the Pixel 9 and above.
Android’s latest update is quietly bringing back a useful fingerprint unlocking option to Pixel phones. The Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock toggle has returned in the new Android 16 QPR2 update, a.k.a the second major Android 16 update of the year. Enabling the feature lets users unlock their Pixels with the fingerprint sensor even when the display is completely off.
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