Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have received a mid-November update. Although Google has not yet provided any details about the latest software build, Verizon said that the update improves fingerprint scanning on the Pixel 6 series. Several users reported an unreliable experience with the fingerprint scanner of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro shortly after the phones’ launch. In some cases, the in-display fingerprint sensor was found to take a longer time to unlock, while some users also reported that it was able to unlock the device even with unregistered fingerprints.
According to a report by 9to5Google, the global Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro models have received an update with software version SD1A.210817.037. It is, however, available to Verizon users as SD1A.210817.037.A1.
Verizon has noted on its website that the latest update was released on November 16 and is meant to improve “the performance of your device’s fingerprint sensor.” However, Google has not provided details on the improvements so far.
Some users on Reddit have reported that the mid-November update does improve the fingerprint scanning on their Pixel 6 phones. It has also been noticed by some other users on Twitter. But some people have not found any significant changes to the fingerprint scanner after installing the update.
Normally, Google doesn’t provide any mid-month updates to its Pixel phones. The company also recently seeded the regular November update to the Pixel family that addressed some known issues and patched security vulnerabilities.
Gadgets 360 has reached out to Google for clarity on the update and will update this article when the company responds.
Meanwhile, you can check for the update on your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro by going to Settings > System > System update. You can also get the factory images and OTA images of the update from the Android Developers portal.
It is currently unclear whether the new update fixes any of the earlier reported issues with the fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6 series. However, given the nature of the issues, including allowing people to unlock the phone using unregistered fingerprints, Google may have a fix in place.
The Android maker last week clarified about the lag in unlocking by telling users that it’s in place due to “enhanced security algorithms.” Some users also recently reported that the fingerprint scanner on the new phones break once their battery is fully discharged. But despite complaining about that problem on the official Pixel Community forums and platforms including Reddit, they have not yet received an official response.