It appears that even unregistered fingerprints can unlock the Google Pixel 6a. The identical behavior was observed on our Pixel 6a review device as well.
The Google Pixel 6a was just introduced in India and will start selling on July 28 for Rs. 43,999. It appears that the Google Pixel 6a is having troubles with its fingerprint scanner before it even makes its maiden sale. It appears that the Google Pixel 6a accepts unregistered fingerprints for device unlocking. It is currently unknown whether the issue is a hardware malfunction or a software flaw.
The in-display fingerprint sensor on the Google Pixel 6a appears to have a security hole that allows even unregistered fingerprints to be authenticated and unlock the phone. The problem was discovered by Beebom and later confirmed by 91Mobiles and tech YouTuber Geeky Ranjit. The same problem was also present in our Google Pixel 6a review unit. My left thumb could unlock our unit even though it has never been registered on the Pixel 6a. When a second individual attempted to use their fingerprint to open the phone, it remained locked. Inquiries about this issue have been made to Google by Gadgets 360, and we are awaiting a response.
The device only allowed registered fingerprints to unlock the smartphone when I registered my fingerprint once more, and it functioned as intended. The smartphone could not be unlocked with my left thumb, however, it did periodically show “Partial Fingerprint Detected” at the bottom of the screen. It is unclear whether this problem stems from software or from fingerprint scanning hardware. Notably, the Pixel 6a did not receive any software updates following its release, and our phone is currently using the April 2022 Android security patch.
With a 4,410mAh battery and support for 18W fast charging, Google’s newest smartphone in India, the Pixel 6a, is powered by the Google Tensor chip and features a dual camera configuration on the rear. Three years of Android security updates and five years of Android security updates are promised for the Pixel 6a.