UPDATE: Samsung has now officially the fix for its shock fingerprint scanner issue with the firm saying in a statement: “We have released a software patch to address the fingerprint scanner issue on Galaxy Note10, Note10+, S10, S10+ and S10 5G devices, which will be available globally over the next few days. We will strive to continuously test and improve our biometric authentication features for more secure mobile services. We encourage any customers with questions or who need support downloading the latest software to contact us directly at 0333 000 0333.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Samsung Galaxy S10 has a worrying security flaw.
When it launched back in February, it was the first smartphone to ship with an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.
Housed within the Infinity-O display, this new sensor was designed to be more secure and work when your touchscreen is wet.
It also doesn’t need to shine any light on your fingertip to authenticate your fingerprint – unlike the in-display sensors in the likes of the OnePlus 7 Pro and Nokia 9 PureView – so it’s less glaring to unlock your handset at night.
But the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner has been mired by a flaw that meant adding some screen protectors to the Galaxy S10 would enable anybody to gain access to your smartphone with a tap of their fingerprint.
The issue was discovered by a British couple who found their Galaxy S10’s security became next-to-useless after the plastic screen protector had been applied onto the edge-to-edge screen.
Speaking to The Sun, Lisa Neilson said: “This means that if anyone got hold of my phone they can access it and within moments could be into the financial apps and be transferring funds.”
The £2.70 screen cover was purchased on eBay. The glitch appears to affect a vast number of Galaxy S10 units, forcing Samsung to design a software fix for the flaw.
Samsung quickly confirmed the issue with a post on its support site stating: “Unofficial, scratched or dirty screen protectors may cause the fingerprint sensor to malfunction.”
The firm has been working hard on a fix, which now appears to be rolling out in some areas of the world.
According to SamMobile, some S10 users in South Korea have already begun receiving this upgrade which stops the scanner from being tricked by these screen protectors.
There’s no word on a global release but it’s likely that all S10’s will get this vital update in the coming weeks. To check your phone is fully up to date simply head to Settings > Software update > Download updates manually.