If you have issues using the fingerprint sensor on your phone, you can check our article on how to add a fingerprint.

If you are still having issues after going through the article, proceed with the next steps.

Check and clean sensor surface

Make sure the sensor is not dirty or scratched: clean the sensor surface with a cotton swab or dry cloth.
Another reason for malfunctioning could be any residue or dirt on your fingers: try washing your hands with soap and testing again. If your fingers are wet, it could also affect the functioning of the fingerprint sensor, so make sure to dry them well.

Test the sensor in a different environment

The sensor may not work well if the phone is in an extremely hot or cold environment. Test it again in cooler or warmer conditions once your phone is at average room temperature.

If you often use your phone outside, it might be helpful to register your fingerprint while outside as well - when your fingers are cold or warm (and sweaty) their fingerprint might look different for the sensor.

Update your phone

Make sure that your phone is up to date.

If you are not running the latest software, or you are not sure, update your Fairphone to the latest Fairphone OS.

Remove and add a new fingerprint

Sometimes the registered fingerprints are not a good snapshot of the part of the finger you use the most often when unlocking the phone.

Remove registered fingerprint

1. Open your phone's Settings.
2. Tap Security.
3. Tap Fingerprint.
4. If the device asks you to, enter your screen lock (the PIN, Pattern or Password you use to unlock the screen).
5. Tap on the rubbish bin icon to delete your fingerprint and confirm to remove it. Your fingerprint should disappear from the list.

Add your fingerprint again

1. After deleting your existing fingerprint, the list will be empty. Tap now on + Add fingerprint.
2. Follow the on-screen steps.
   • When scanning your fingerprint, make sure to press the sensor’s surface with your finger from different angles. This way, the sensor will be able to also capture partial fingerprints and/or fingerprints when holding the phone in different ways.
   • You must complete many successful scans to register the desired fingerprint properly. You will see the progress on the screen.
3. Once successfully registered, the device will say Fingerprint added.
4. Press Done to complete the setup. Remember you can add up to 5 registered fingerprints.

Safe mode

To exclude the possibility of a corrupted third-party software, we recommend rebooting your device in Safe mode. Check if the issue is gone while in Safe mode. If the issue is still there then, reboot your phone to go out of Safe mode and proceed with the next step.

Factory reset

Back up your phone and perform a Factory reset. Then, after the reset, do not restore any of your apps & data. Check if the issue is gone first. If it is resolved, perform another Factory reset to restore everything, and get your apps and data back.

If the issue wasn't resolved, contact us and provide the following information:

1. If you are getting any error message(s), take a screenshot(s) of them.
2. Picture of the fingerprint sensor.
3. When you started experiencing this issue.

If after reading the article you need more help, contact our Customer Support.