Develop Bugs

[Solved] Galaxy A3 2017 - fingerprint scanner almost unusable

Hello,
Anyone else has this problem where the fingerprint scanner barely works (almost unusable) ? I tried many ways to enter the fingerprints but it registers like 1 in 10 tries...
Edit 2: Best solution here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72875604&postcount=18
If that does not solve the issue, also try this:
Edit: solution at https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71964623&postcount=10

kevinlevrone said:
Hello,
Anyone else has this problem where the fingerprint scanner barely works (almost unusable) ? I tried many ways to enter the fingerprints but it registers like 1 in 10 tries...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here. Samsung makes the worst finger print scanners.
thinking of 4 scan for same finger see if that helps.
Huawei makes the best finger print scanners

kevinlevrone said:
Hello,
Anyone else has this problem where the fingerprint scanner barely works (almost unusable) ? I tried many ways to enter the fingerprints but it registers like 1 in 10 tries...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not normal, my A5 works 9 in 10 on the first try.

Not a single error in my A3

Mine is totally unusable... any idea?

Well, it seems that I'm not the only one with this problem. Hopefully it can be fixed with an update.
I have to say that my thumb skin is a bit damaged (from doing work on cars, around the house, etc.) but this was never a problem with my S7 Edge. I tried a different finger with healthy skin and it does work a lot better, but still not 100%, it seems to me that the A3 sensor has real issues.

same Problem with my girlfriends A3.
Fingerprint scannner works in 1 of 4 times if youre lucky sometimes doesn't work at all.
She has already made 3 scans with 1 finger but didn't really help

Maybe send it back for warrenty repairs if a factory reset won't work'? I'm sorry but fingerprint sensor should work fine.

Chris.nl said:
Maybe send it back for warrenty repairs if a factory reset won't work'? I'm sorry but fingerprint sensor should work fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I don't think this is solvable via warranty work. I am not sending my almost new phone back just to receive a refurbished piece of thrash. I am putting my faith into a firmware update. The funny thing is, I really like the phone even with this problem, it is very fluid and has even better battery life than the S7 Edge.

So here is a workaround I have found, for those having the issue:
- Instead of using the tip of the finger when adding your fingerprint, use the area just below the tip. In the attached picture, use the area marked with green instead of the one marked with red. It will then work 100%, it's amazing how fast and accurate it is. It's just not very smart like the S7/S8 and other phones and it probably has issues when the skin is not 100% perfect or maybe with pronounced geometric distortions like it is the case when using the finger tip.

Hi folks, a workaround for me was disabling the keep screen turned off, became much more accurate after that

I've got similar problem with always on display. When I turned it off everithyng is fine

I am having similar issues with my phone. I have tried using all three stored fingerprints as just my thumb and I still have trouble getting it to unlock. I do have Always On Display turned on, and I don't really want to disable it as suggested in this thread because it's an awesome feature. Samsung should be able to something as easy as a fingerprint scanner right. Hopefully this is simply a software issue that is patched

hi guys
you lock phone with power key or with widget (like screen off)?

After having the same problem I started turning my thumb much more (even almost fully vertical) during the scanning process. Now it works fine. DHNL

hi actually solved the problem what i did is that factory reset the phone, i schedule a weekly restart, i clean my scanner and i assigned all 3 fingerprints on to the same finger and it worked

Hi folks,
I am experiencing the same issue. I found some relief using a different finger. I have registered three of my fingersprints. For some weird reason only one of the three fingers works acceptably good, the other two are successful very rarely. I therefore recommend you to try with a different finger or several of them to find out which one better works for you.
Good luck !

I can confirm there is indeed a problem with SAMSUNG A5 2017 fingerprint system. The recognition rate can be extremely low in some condition (around 10% positive, meaning almost unusable). This seems to be a software bug
Here is a turn around :
If you record your fingerprint with the screen "always on" function activated , then the recognition rate is extremely poor.
if you unactivate this function during recording process, then the rate is ok (higher than 90%), even if you reactivate the always on function after recoring session
I guess this could be solved by Samsung in the latest firmware A5 (2017) update.
Gautier T., A5 owner

gautierT said:
I can confirm there is indeed a problem with SAMSUNG A5 2017 fingerprint system. The recognition rate can be extremely low in some condition (around 10% positive, meaning almost unusable). This seems to be a software bug
Here is a turn around :
If you record your fingerprint with the screen "always on" function activated , then the recognition rate is extremely poor.
if you unactivate this function during recording process, then the rate is ok (higher than 90%), even if you reactivate the always on function after recoring session
I guess this could be solved by Samsung in the latest firmware A5 (2017) update.
Gautier T., A5 owner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The trick seems to be working, thanks !!

kevinlevrone said:
Hello,
Anyone else has this problem where the fingerprint scanner barely works (almost unusable) ? I tried many ways to enter the fingerprints but it registers like 1 in 10 tries...
Edit 2: Best solution here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72875604&postcount=18
If that does not solve the issue, also try this:
Edit: solution at https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71964623&postcount=10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
updating to nougat fixes this.
you won.t need the workaround with AOD like on marshmallow

Can flashin to the right ROM solve some software bugs? Asking after putting up halfyr

I've put up with the proximity sensor malfunctioning once i take or make a call, the touch screen not working [restarting it solves the problem, after i had the screen replaced due to complete failure to function, which seems to be evident of a software issue] and the UI keeps crashing. I know this isn't a very smart question, but would rooting to the right ROM solve all these bugs? These seem to be a software issue, but again; I'm nowhere close to an expert on this. Also, what I mean by the proximity sensor malfunctioning is that when the phone is in a call, the screen doesn't turn on even if it isn't close to my ear or anything else.

Fingerprint scanner issue after upgrade to 9.0

So I finally took the jump to Pie. One of the smaller issues I have that I didn't before is when trying to set up my fingerprints again, I get an error on the last press which tells me to try again or try another finger.

Yes, an issue for me also. Sometimes it just does not work and other times it tells me the fingerprint sensor is dirty which it is not. Fingerprint sensor issues have been reported by others too after installing Pie. It does not seem to me to be as common as the notification issues with Pie, (which I also have), but it is talked about. I also did a factory reset a couple days after installing 9.0 which did help a couple of apps to work better but did not help the fingerprint or notification problems.
The fingerprint issue is weird as sometimes it is so bad, I think I will not be able to keep the phone, just will not work at all. Then for no discernible reason it will start working fine. It is not just a pain to have to use another login method every time the phone needs to be woken up, but I also use fingerprint sign in for a few apps and it is much harder to have to enter one of my random 14 character passwords when the fingerprint won't work.

Try to put your Ambient display Always on... see if it fixes the fingerprint problem (Google is aware of this issue) till google issues a permanent fix.

Wasn't that only a workaround for people who had fingerprint lag? I don't think it was for fingerprint reading issues.
I did notice a lot more fingerprint reading errors with Pie then redid my fingers and all has been fine.
itzik_man said:
Try to put your Ambient display Always on... see if it fixes the fingerprint problem (Google is aware of this issue) till google issues a permanent fix.
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Click to collapse
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Proximity sensor not working since june 2019 security patch

Hi
I'm searching for anyone else having the same problem as me and other people that i've seen in Lenovo Forums
I'm having different problems, but the most important for me is the proximity sensor, because once I answered a phone call, it makes impossible to hang up because the display turns black and it doesn´t "wakes" until the phone call has ended. The same problem with audios in whatsapp.
Another problem is that Moto Actions like turn on the flashlight with a shake, and open the camera with a twist doesn´t work anymore. Plus, the vibrator started to fail, having an unusual behavior until it just stopped.
And the device is not recognized correctly in any computer I've tried, it just appears as "unknown device", and the device doesn't show the options that use to appear when connected to a computer, it just says "charging".
I want to think that all of them are software problems, and not hardware problems, because they all started after the june 2019 update, and, as I said, there are other people having the same problems, and I think it would be a big coincidence if all of us have the same problems with our hardware.
If any of you have had the same problems, could you tell me if you could find a way to fix it? Or, anyone has any idea how could I solve, at least the proximity sensor problem, it would be better if the device don't turn off the screen anymore during phone calls.
I've tried reinstalling the drivers in 3 different pc's, and any of them worked, but when I tried with another device (Moto z2 force) they all worked. I've done factory reset three times, and one hard reset, with no changes. Could someone help me?
Thanks for reading.

Well, sound like... simply failing phone ? RMA ?

emcom said:
Well, sound like... simply failing phone ? RMA ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think that? I've had this phone for a year and a half, and I've never had any issue, until the last update on june 2019.
Maybe is a coincidence and my phone started to fail just after the update, but to be sure, I want to know if there's someone else having the same issue, and maybe someone could fix it.

I've had these problems a few months ago too, but back then I was thinking it was related to a hardware problem cause I had to send my phone to fix the screen (broken glass) and after that I noticed that the moto actions wasn't working properly, as the flash light from the frontal camera and the most annoying of the problems, the proximity sensor that would stop working when I got a call or audios in whatsapp. All of these was solved a couple weeks ago tho, after I had to fix my screen again (yes, 2 times in 3 months, congrats), just days before the android pie was released, so I can't say exactly what fixed it

3 screen off issues

Hi everyone.
I have a note 10 + 256 go exynos from france.
SInce about last update one ui2.5, I have seen 3 issues which I think are related.
- AOD tap to show not working
- Double tap to wake not working
- When I remove the phone from the ear during a call the screen does not light up anymore whereas before yes.
I almost returned the phone in warranty a short time ago because my screen only registered two fingers,a few days later I received an update that fixed this problem.
For these 3 problems I tried 3 things :
- Update touch screen firmware via *#2663#
- Factory reset
- Reflash the stock firmware with odin and frija
I also have another problem a few times a day the screen freezes, I have to lock unlock the screen and it works again..
Do you think it's a software problem or a hardware problem (damaged screen, damaged sensor or other)?
Please help me thanks.

Lol, firmware and/or software; maybe a settings or permissions issue as there are many. Hardware rarely fails unless it receives severe abuse. You can perform some of the builtin hardware tests just to be sure.
Try using the factory load if the apk in question has been updated or wait for an update that fixes it. Be sure to check the Gallaxy Store for updates.
I'm still running on Pie because it's fast, stable and functional. No scope storage that I don't want or need.
Once you get an OS optimized and running well there's little advantage to upgrading many times unless the new OS is really worth it.
Many times it's not... I'm still running W7 too.
You invariably end up with new issues, hunting down all new glitches and worse, since it's new there not many online solutions.

Thank you for your help.
I mentioned the 3 main methods of fix but of course before that I had already tried the basic things like clearing the system cache, checking the permissions of the AOD application as well as deleting this data.
I also checked the sensors with * # 0 * # but I did not find anything problematic
I even tried to flash the november update with odin and frija and I got a soft brick, so I don't even dare to try a downgrade firmware, I don't have the knowledge, I read that I had to keep the same bootloader and I get lost in the different firmwares

Those are all system apks that run in the background.
Is Android System configured correctly?
Try clearing it's data and of course the system cache.
A hard reboot as well.
It's interesting you lost the proximity sensor.

Thanks.
Yes I have cleared the system cache several times, android system too. I even did a hard reset. I think more and more of a hardware problem, because all these functions are linked to the fact that the screen does not wake up by touch when it is turned off.
the proximity sensor still works at least partially because it flashes well during a call and turns off the screen when I put the phone to my ear, but no wake up when I take it off my ear.

cyroko said:
Thank you for your help.
I mentioned the 3 main methods of fix but of course before that I had already tried the basic things like clearing the system cache, checking the permissions of the AOD application as well as deleting this data.
I also checked the sensors with * # 0 * # but I did not find anything problematic
I even tried to flash the november update with odin and frija and I got a soft brick, so I don't even dare to try a downgrade firmware, I don't have the knowledge, I read that I had to keep the same bootloader and I get lost in the different firmwares
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cyroko said:
Thanks.
Yes I have cleared the system cache several times, android system too. I even did a hard reset. I think more and more of a hardware problem, because all these functions are linked to the fact that the screen does not wake up by touch when it is turned off.
the proximity sensor still works at least partially because it flashes well during a call and turns off the screen when I put the phone to my ear, but no wake up when I take it off my ear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it happened after the firmware update... it's in the firmware or software.
Bad firmware can sometimes blowout a cpu but doubt it damaged the hardware controlling just that one feature of the touchscreen.
If that was the case the touchscreen wouldn't work at all.
Maybe the firmware is ok but got corrupted during the download or flash.
A defective memory module could corrupt the load but again that rarely happens.
So back to the firmware/software/settings...
Maybe someone here has seen this before or has a better idea to sort it out.

Honestly I'm not sure it's exactly after an update.
It's just that it's not functions that I use very often. I don't call a lot of people and most of the time I use very little Aod and double tap2wake.
Usually when I grab my phone to use it I unlock it directly with the fingerprint.
when i mentioned the problem where my screen only recognized two fingers at this time , aod and dt2w were already weird as it only worked on the top half of the screen not on the bottom half ..the update solved the problem for the 2 fingers but not for the fact that aod and dt2w only works on the upper half.
Now for some time aod and dt2w no longer work at all no matter where I touch the screen.
I want to clarify that I use a screen protector with loca glue but that it is from the beginning and that it has never been a problem before.
I know this is a weird problem thanks for your patience

I never use a lock screen or the fingerprint sensor.
There may be a conflict because that... disable and see if that helps.
The screen could goof up the proximity sensor. Probably not but next time it's off, check it out.
No worries; these devices fascinate me.
Hope you sort it out; eventually one usually does

I never use a lock screen or the fingerprint sensor.
There may be a conflict because that... disable and see if that helps.
The screen could goof up the proximity sensor. Probably not but next time it's off, check it out.
No worries; these devices fascinate me.
Hope you sort it out; eventually one usually does

2x post

when i did the factory reset it was the first thing i tried before even resetting a password but it didn't work anyway.
For the screen protector I use the same brand from the beginning and it has never caused me a problem of this kind, but maybe this one is defective ..
I would have to remove it to try but I have lazy to change it again because I had to change it twice in a little while.
Hoping that by dint of applying the loca glue I haven't damaged anything.
Thanks

Nah the glue didn't hurt anything; it's well sealed.
The tap on AOD I never use but I double tap to turn the screen on/off. If I lost that I be witch hunting.
Try increasing the touch sensitivity if you haven't already... and make sure no other apps have accessibility permissions that could conflict. Same for device administrator permissions.
Try it in safe mode as well.