Android 14 Beta 3 update has started to roll out to Pixel phones, but issues already started appearing. Android 14 Beta 3 seems to make the fingerprint scanner unusable on some Pixel phones, as in it’s not even there.
Android 14 Beta 3 basically removes fingerprint sensor function from some Pixel phones
On affected phones, Android doesn’t seem to recognize that the fingerprint scanner is a part of the picture. Even the UI elements and settings relating to the fingerprint scanner are no longer there. Needless to say, this is extremely weird, a serious bug.
Ben Schoon, from 9to5Google, reports that his Pixel 6 Pro unit is affected by the bug. His is not the only one, though, not even close. If you take a look at Reddit, Twitter, and even a thread on the Google Issue Tracker, you’ll see quite a few reports.
This bug seems to affect only the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and the Pixel 6a, though. Those are good, kind of. At least not any of the Pixel 7 series devices are affected by the problem, if nothing else.
It’s not happening to everyone, but there are quite a few reports out there now
The issue also seems to be rather random. It seems like the vast majority of Pixel 6 series devices don’t have this issue. That is the usual occurrence when it comes to such bugs, though.
No workaround surfaced as of now. So, you essentially cannot fix this, you’ll have to wait for Google to do it. Well, a factory reset could fix the issue, but we’re not sure, as we haven’t seen anyone try it just yet.
Considering that this is a rather major bug, we do expect Google to react fast. Let’s hope that a hotfix update will arrive soon. Until then, you can freely use a PIN or a pattern lock in order to keep your device safe. Those two options are still there, and seem to work fine on affected devices.