A Security Flaw On The Galaxy S10 Allow Any Fingerprint To Unlock The Phone

According to a report on The Sun made public earlier this week, the in-display fingerprint sensor of Samsung Galaxy S10 has a serious flaw. It appears that a kind of screen protector offering gel cover can confuse the phone’s biometric security system. If the phone owner registers their fingerprints with the protector on, the phone will start to let anyone in, not just the person with the matching prints.

In answer to this issue, Samsung said that users should only opt for accessories that were authorized by the company. However, it announced that it would fix this flaw. The company told BBC News that it knew about the problem and would release a software patch.

On Twitter, one user said that the same problem was also on the Note 10, which makes use of the same sensor for authentication.

Ever since the S10 was launched, we have heard rumors that some certain kinds of screen protectors will mess with how the phone works. In February, Marques Brownlee posted a video showing the phone getting a lot of difficulties identifying its owner’s fingerprints after it was covered by a thick layer of glass as the screen protector.

Samsung’s support site said that some certain screen protectors will make the fingerprint sensor malfunction.

If you own a Galaxy S10 and have concerns over this issue, there is a safe way to go, which is to use the pre-applied protector only. It will not last as long as other options on the market, and it is basically just a sheet of plastic, but it will definitely not confuse the sensor.