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Repair guides and documentation for the Google Pixel 6a with 5G smartphone. Released in July 2022.

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fingerprint reader not working after screen replacement

I replaced the screen using the official ifixit screen with the integrated fingerprint reader.

after replacing the screen, the fingerprint function was not working.

if I try to enroll a new fingerprint, I get a prompt saying the phone can't use the fingerprint sensor and to take it for repair. it also included a link to "http://g.co/pixel/fingerprintunlock" which just redirects to google's docs on using the fingerprint reader.

I tried this tool: https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/ and after rebooting, I no longer get the prompt and can get to the enroll fingerprint stage, but it still fails to read my fingerprint; i get 'couldn't process fingerprint' no matter what finger or direction i press.

any assistance or insight would be appreciated.

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iFixit sent me a new screen and that seems to have fixed my fingerprint reader issue.

factory reset is NOT required

here is the repair procedure i followed to be able to re-use my fingerprint reader (you'll need to do this whenever you swap out a fingerprint reader):

  1. swap screens per ifixit docs
  2. power on phone to make sure it was successful
  3. boot phone into fastboot mode
  4. go to google's repair tool (https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/udfps) and run it.
  5. once the tool finishes, it reboots your phone.
  6. after initial reboot, reboot again.
  7. you should be able to enroll/scan fingerprints as normal

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I can confirm this method works great, don't forget to install Google USB drivers so you can connect your phone to your pc otherwise it does not work.

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Hi there

The calibration tool worked successfully and I rebooted it manually after the initial reboot. The fingerprint sensor still does not work. Any help?

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The calibration tool appears to no longer install with the latest Pixel version updates (mine = December 2022). Will get stuck with message "Couldn’t install the software". Some suggest the calibration software on the phone claims to be newer — confusingly, the online tool seems the only way to run it though, which doesn't work.

So as of now the replaced fingerprint readers are useless until Google provides a fix.

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I replaced my screen and the FP sensor wasn't working. I didn't replace the screen/sensor again, but rather just followed these steps and it works great now!

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It won't work if you had updated your Pixel to the latest software. Says that the version on the phone is newer.

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That's right. I have that problem now. My Pixel is running in Android 13 and i can't use the tool to calibrate the sensor. It just didn't recognize it.

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Google has a repair online for it. You have to connect your phone to your pc and follow the instructions. Have a google, it’s not hard to find.

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is it the tool i described in the original post? https://pixelrepair.withgoogle.com/

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@thunderstorm00 I just looked and yes it is. I also read you need to factory reset your device after using the tool. Don’t take my word for it. I’ve calibrated one before and if I remember rightly I shut down the phone completely then turned it back on and the sensor started working. Try it before the restore option, back it up first if you have to.

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