Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A Reddit report suggests the Pixel 9a may be getting screen-off fingerprint unlock.
- The feature lets you unlock your phone without first waking the display.
- The option was previously limited to the Pixel 9 series, with the Pixel 9a missing out.
Pixel phones are updated with handy tricks fairly regularly, but not all of them make it to every model. When your device misses out on a feature that its Google counterparts get, you might assume it’s never coming, but a new report suggests one fingerprint unlock option may have quietly reached the Pixel 9a.
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According to a Reddit post (via PiunikaWeb), at least one Pixel 9a owner is seeing a “screen-off fingerprint unlock” toggle in their device settings. The option lets you unlock your phone using the fingerprint sensor without first waking the display, effectively keeping the sensor active even when the screen is off.
The original poster shared a screenshot showing the toggle inside the fingerprint settings menu. A handful of replies in the same thread also claim to see the feature, though most don’t mention which device they’re using, so it’s unclear how many other Pixel 9a owners are actually seeing it.
Despite launching after the main Pixel 9 lineup, the Pixel 9a wasn’t included when this feature returned to newer Pixels via Android 16 updates. At the time, we speculated it might be a hardware issue. While the Pixel 9 series uses ultrasonic fingerprint scanners, the Pixel 9a sticks with an optical sensor, which may not work as reliably when the screen is off.
As things stand, there’s no clear indication of how widely this is available, and we haven’t independently confirmed it yet. If you’re seeing it on your Pixel 9a, let us know in the comments.
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