How to unlock Android smartphone with fingerprint

Fingerprinting increases the security of Android smartphone, but to set it up, you need to follow a specific procedure. Here's how to do it

Since Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google's operating system has supported the fingerprint scanner. And it's no coincidence that many manufacturers have recently included a fingerprint scanner in their devices. There are several reasons to choose a phone with such a security system.

Usually to unlock your smartphone with the fingerprint reader you need to follow a wizard during the first time you turn on your smartphone. If we skip this little guide, however, nothing happens. In fact at any time, through the settings, you can set or change your fingerprint. To do this, as mentioned, the first step is to go to the General Settings of our phone. It is very easy to recognize them, they are the ones with the gear icon. The directions we will list can also be used on different Android tablets with fingerprint scanner.

How to set up fingerprint scanner

Reaching and selecting the Settings icon will open a new page, here we have to search and click on Security. In other Android smartphones instead we have to search for Screen Lock & Password. While on some latest generation phones we will find directly the words Fingerprint ID. At this point in the page that opens we select the item Fingerprint. Or Nexus Imprint if we use a Nexus. In the following screen we go then in "Add Fingerprint". On the contrary those who have the Fingerprint ID section must enter there and then choose the Fingerprint Management heading. Here we will also be able to set, if our phone allows it, quick actions. For example, a long click on the reader will open the camera, two clicks will serve to open WhatsApp, and so on.

Add an unlock method

At this point, just before registering our fingerprints, to increase the security of the device it is advisable to set the screen unlock through fingerprint reading. Almost all Android phones, in fact, during the wizard advise us, through pop-up notification, to manage the security details regarding fingerprints. If we click Continue in this screen we can set the unlock. To do all this we'll just have to put a check mark on the next page under "Unlock with fingerprint". The smartphone will then ask us to enter a PIN code in case of need, we also record that and save the changes.

Fingerprint Registration

Now we are ready to record fingerprints. All we have to do is to place our finger on the scanner while on the screen we'll see an animated demo indicating the progress of the registration. When the process is finished you'll usually hear a vibration. At this point we'll have to repeat the operation three to five times, placing the finger at different angles. This serves the scanner to immediately recognize our finger even if we don't touch the sensor perfectly. Once finished, if we want to insert another fingerprint, just click on "Add another fingerprint". At this point the game is done. Just place your finger on the sensor to unlock the phone.