Watch: Google Pixel 6a in-display fingerprint scanner has a major security flaw

Published On: July 25, 2022

Highlights

Google Pixel 6a’s in-display fingerprint scanner has a major flaw.
The handset can seemingly be unlocked with unregistered fingerprints.
The Pixel 6a is slated to go on sale in India starting July 28th.

The all-new Pixel 6a smartphone seems to have a major security flaw. Apparently, the handset can be unlocked with unregistered fingerprints as well. We were able to verify it independently after Indian YouTubers Geekyranjit and Beebom raised the issue in their respective videos. This is a major security flaw for the Pixel 6a, which is all set to go on sale in India starting July 28th via Flipkart. The handset is ‘Made by Google’ and comes with a Titan M2 co-processor for security. But is the Pixel 6a really secure?

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As you can watch in the video below, 91mobiles was able to unlock the Pixel 6a with an unregistered fingerprint.

Google Pixel 6a has a security flaw

Whether it is a bug that can be fixed via software update or hardware issue, the company is yet to confirm. For now, the Pixel 6a can be unlocked with fingerprints that are not even registered. While in our and Geekyranjit’s video, the flaw can only be seen with the same person’s unregistered fingerprint, Beebom’s video suggests anyone can unlock the device. The latter’s video shows multiple people being able to unlock the Pixel 6a. The handset’s security can be compromised by anyone.

This isn’t going to go down well for Google, which is selling a smartphone in India after a gap of two years. Additionally, the Pixel 6a doesn’t come cheap. The phone is priced in India at Rs 43,999.

Google Pixel 6a specifications

To recall, the handset sports a 6.1-inch Full-HD+ OLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection layer. The Pixel 6a is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor chipset, which is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage. The device is IP67 water and dust resistant certified and runs Android 12 out of the box. In optics, it sports a 12.2MP wide + 12MP ultra-wide dual-camera setup at the back and an 8MP selfie camera on the front. The handset is driven by a 4,306mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.