Android 16 Adds Blind Fingerprint Unlock to Pixel Phones

Google is making significant strides in the development of Android 16. With the recent release of a third beta update just over a week ago, the platform has reached a notable level of stability. While this build doesn’t introduce a lot of new features, it does come with an exciting addition.

Pixel smartphone users can now unlock their devices even when the screen is completely off. This new “Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock” feature was first highlighted by the team at Android Authority. It can be found in the device’s Security & Privacy settings.

Previously, users needed to wake the screen and then position their thumb over the fingerprint sensor icon on the Lock Screen. This could be done either by tapping on the screen or pressing the power button to activate it.

Now, with the new unlock feature, users can simply place their thumb on the in-display fingerprint sensor without needing to turn on the screen first. This eliminates the inconvenience of having to wake the screen before unlocking.

I successfully activated this feature after installing the Android 16 Beta 3.1 build, which includes the March 2025 security update, on a Pixel 8 smartphone. The feature is intuitive and operates seamlessly.

However, it does require some practice to find the fingerprint sensor accurately on a dark screen. It’s important to note that Google is not the first to introduce this capability.

I tested the same functionality on my OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 without having to wake up their screens, and it performed flawlessly on both devices. Both smartphones are currently running Android 15 and provide a quicker fingerprint unlocking experience than the Pixel 8, regardless of screen state.

This screen-off unlock feature is still in beta, so there’s a possibility that Google could modify or postpone it before the stable version of Android 16 rolls out in the coming months.

Currently, the only way to utilize this feature is by signing up for the Android 16 beta-testing program on a compatible Google Pixel smartphone. However, it might be wise to wait for a few weeks for the stable update for your Pixel device, avoiding the potential issues that can come with beta builds.