Fingerprint sensor not working on your Samsung Galaxy M51?
There are many factors that can affect the fingerprint functionality, such as not using the correct finger, finger is wet, finger is scarred or wrinkled, defective sensor, software malfunction and more that can cause fingerprint sensor to stop working.
If you’re having issues with fingerprint scanner on your Galaxy M51, here are some solutions you can try.
How to fix fingerprint sensor problem on Samsung Galaxy M51
Below are some tips you can try to fix fingerprint issue on your Samsung Galaxy M51.
1. Clean the sensor
Check if there are any dirt or smudges on the fingerprint sensor. If it is dirty, the sensor may malfunction. Use a soft clean cloth dampen with alcohol solution to wipe off any dirt or dust from the sensor.
2. Remove and add fingerprints
Your fingerprints can change overtime due to various factors. This can happen in the following scenarios.
- You are at a place where temperature is too hot or too cold
- Your fingertips have scars or wrinkles
- You restored fingerprints from old device to a new one
In such cases, removing the old fingerprints and adding new ones can fix the problem. Follow the procedures below to remove and register new fingerprints.
Steps to delete old fingerprints:
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down and tap on Biometrics and security
- Tap on Fingerprints
- Type in the PIN, Password, or Pattern when prompted
- Select the fingerprints to remove. To select all, touch and hold a fingerprint then select All from the upper-left corner
- Tap on Remove (top right corner). Then confirm to remove
Steps to add new fingerprints:
- Go to Settings
- Tap on Biometrics and security
- Tap on Fingerprints
- Type in the PIN, Password, or Pattern when prompted
- Tap Add fingerprint. Enter the current PIN, Password, or Pattern if prompted
- Follow the on-screen tutorial to scan your fingerprint
- Tap Done to add the fingerprint
3. Wipe system cache partition
System cache is a temporary storage that stores frequently access data and files including your fingerprints data. Sometimes this data can get corrupted due to some reason and can lead to all kinds of problems. Try wiping the cache and see if that helps.
Here’s how to wipe the system cache.
- Turn off the device
- Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Power key.
- Continue to hold both keys until Android Recovery menu options appear
- Press the Volume down key and navigate to Wipe cache partition
- Press Power key to select
- Press the Volume down key to highlight Yes, then press the Power key to select
- When the process is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
4. Factory reset the phone
If the problem started after a recent firmware update, then it may be due to some new bug that got in to your device with the update. Restoring your device back to earlier version of the software can often fix the problem in such cases.
If you want to perform factory reset, here’s how to do that.
- Open Settings from your home screen
- Tap on General management
- Tap on Reset
- Tap on Factory data reset
- Scroll down and tap on the Reset button
- Tap the Delete all button to proceed with the reset
If you are locked out of your device, you can follow the procedure below to perform the reset.
- Turn off your device (Press and hold Power button and Volume down key together until the Power Menu appears, then tap the Power off to turn off the device)
- Now press and hold the Power and Volume Up keys for few seconds
- When the Galaxy M51 logo is displayed, release the keys and wait until the Recovery menu appears
- Use the Volume Down key to highlight and select “Wipe data/factory reset“
- Press the Power key to select the option
- Use the Volume Down button and highlight Factory data reset option
- Press the Power key to proceed
- After the factory reset completes, you will see the recovery menu again
- Select “Reboot System Now” and press Power to restart the device
Note: A factory reset will delete all data from the device therefore ensure to backup all your important files and data before proceeding with the operation.
Once the factory reset is done and your phone has fully rebooted, check the fingerprint sensor again and see if it works. If it doesn’t, contact Samsung care for further support.