In-display fingerprint sensors have become commonplace in virtually all Android smartphones, for better or for worse, and five years later…

  • potentiallynotfelix@lemmy.fish
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    11 days ago

    Rear scanners had no reason to go away. Imagine a phone with one giant fingerprint sensor/touchpad on the back(like the PS Vita).

    • bighatchester@lemmy.world
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      11 days ago

      I miss the back fingerprint scanner. I could unlock my phone as I’m taking it out of my pocket . The in screen one on Samsung phones is really unreliable.

      • tb_@lemmy.world
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        10 days ago

        Being able to swipe down the notifications from that button was a great feature

        • Ironfacebuster@lemmy.world
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          10 days ago

          If it’s any consolation, “one handed mode” (at least on pixels) has an option to let you bring the shade down by swiping down on the gesture bar

          Swiping down on the fingerprint scanner was my favorite thing on my pixel 5, for checking notifications or fidgeting with it! I was a little bummed when I eventually upgraded, but found that and it works relatively well

          • lud@lemm.ee
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            9 days ago

            On my pixel 6A you can bring down the notifications but double tapping the back of the phone, which is pretty neat.

            • Ironfacebuster@lemmy.world
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              9 days ago

              Back tap is pretty sick, I have it set up to trigger my flashlight

              How are the false positives when using your phone and the notification shade? Sometimes I’ll get false positives holding my phone resting against a hard surface and blast whatever’s behind it

              • lud@lemm.ee
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                9 days ago

                I can’t recall false positives being a huge issue for me, but it’s very late at night so my memory might be foggy.

                I honestly don’t use it a lot because I have a gesture which enables me to swipe down on the home screen to bring down the notifications and I’m just so used to doing that. Personally I have to adjust my grip to use the back tap feature, so it’s slightly inconvenient.

                Having the flashlight on the feature is something that I would like but unfortunately it’s just somewhat embarrassing to walk around with the flashlight turned on and false positives are a problem here.

                With the notification shade false positives don’t really matter.

      • vxx@lemmy.world
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        11 days ago

        My sensor is on the button that turns on the phone, and it’s on the right side where the thumb is placed anyway. You press it, phone turns on and you can enter the passkey, you slide your thumb over it, you unlock the phone directly.

        I have it deactivated though. There’s no need to store my fingerprint anywhere to save 1.5 seconds.

      • potentiallynotfelix@lemmy.fish
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        9 days ago

        All of the phones I have had have had practically flat fingerprint sensors, For example, the Pixel 3a XL which is closest to me right now has an inwards facing sensor.

        • hefty4871@lemmy.ca
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          7 days ago

          I believe OP was referring to the fact you’d need to pick up the phone to access the rear sensor, not about if the phone sits flat.

          • potentiallynotfelix@lemmy.fish
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            6 days ago

            Oh, I guess so. I get that, but facial recognition does exist, and that’s what I use mainly, even if my phone’s fingerprint sensor is accessible.