Starting with the Pixel 6, all Pixel smartphones (except for the foldable models) come with a fingerprint scanner below the display. However, unlike many other smartphones, the Pixel only works when the screen is on. Luckily, this limitation will be addressed in the Android 16 update for Pixel.
Android 16 will bring a new feature called Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock to Pixel smartphones. Once activated, the fingerprint scanner will work even when the screen is off.
To enable this feature, go to Settings > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Fingerprint Unlock. Then, in the When using Fingerprint Unlock section, turn on the Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock switch.
After activating the feature, simply tap the fingerprint scanner area, and if the correct finger is used, the Pixel screen will light up and unlock immediately.
Google originally added Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock in the second version of Android 16 Developer Preview, but this feature was exclusive to the Pixel 9 series. However, in Android 16 Beta 3, the company expanded support to all Pixel smartphones. This feature has already been tested on the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 Pro, and it works without any problems. Although there is a possibility that Google may remove it in the stable version of Android 16, there is no reason for such a decision at this time.
How to get the feature now
If you don’t want to wait for the official release of Android 16 or join the beta testing, the only way to keep the scanner active for now is to enable Always-on Display mode. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait for Android 16 to roll out and manually activate Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock, as this feature will be disabled by default.
Other innovations in Android 16 include custom icons, separate notification and settings panel, animated weather effects.
Source: androidauthority