Got a Google Pixel 6a? Here's What to Do If the Wrong Fingerprint Can Unlock It.
CR testers confirmed a bug in the smartphone and tested a fix
In the past two months, dozens of people who purchased Google’s new Pixel 6a phone have reported on Reddit and YouTube that the fingerprint scanner can pose a security risk, unlocking the device with an unregistered fingerprint.
A Reddit user who asked to be identified as Josh P. was among them. On July 29, the day after the Pixel 6a was released, Josh unboxed his new phone and added the fingerprints from both thumbs to the unlock settings. Later that day, he started seeing online complaints about the fingerprint scanner.
“So I tried using my index fingers,” Josh told Consumer Reports via Reddit. “And sure enough, both of them unlocked my phone.” His older brother was able to unlock the phone, too, using his own unregistered thumbs. Josh, who lives in New Hampshire and works in IT, decided the security risk wasn’t worth it, and he returned the phone.
Now, testers in Consumer Reports’ labs have confirmed that the bug is still a problem in at least some phones bought at retail outlets. In the course of our standard evaluations, testers were able to unlock all three Google Pixel 6a phones we’d purchased using unregistered fingerprints.
What to Do If You Own a Pixel 6a Phone
First, test your phone to see if you can unlock it with either an unregistered finger on your hand, or the hand of a friend or relative.
(It’s worth trying this test with some earlier models, too. Last year, people on Reddit and YouTube reported seeing the same problem with their Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones. CR did not observe the issue in our testing of those models.)
If you find you have the issue, delete all fingerprints registered on the phone. This disables the unlock feature. Here’s how.
- Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap on the Settings gear icon.
- Tap Security > Fingerprint Unlock.
- Enter your PIN to continue.
- Click the trash can icon to delete each fingerprint registered on the phone.
Next, re-register one fingerprint (repeating steps 1 through 3 and tapping “Add fingerprint”), and retest the phone. If it opens only for that finger, you can register additional prints.
If the issue continues, delete the one fingerprint using the steps above to disable the unlock feature until Google offers a fix. Rely on your password, PIN, or pattern unlock instead.
Deleting all fingerprints might require you to re-register fingerprints with any apps set up to use that security feature. To be extra-safe, though, you may want to shift to using a password for the apps until a Google fix arrives.
