Samsung has released a patch for the Galaxy S10 and Note 10’s fingerprint reader, fixing a problem discovered by The Sun that could allow anyone’s fingerprints to be used to unlock an S10 with certain types of screen protectors attached (via Reuters).
According to Android Central, the update is only available for S10 and Note 10 devices in South Korea for now, although it should be rolling out to additional countries in the near future.
The company previously warned users that unsanctioned screen protectors could cause issues. Samsung’s official support site already notes that “unofficial, scratched or dirty screen protectors may cause the fingerprint sensor to malfunction.” But there’s a big difference between “malfunction” and “allow anyone to get into your phone,” which likely explains the speed at which Samsung is getting this update out.
Samsung previously explained the problem by noting that the ultrasonic fingerprint was mistakenly “recognizing 3-dimensional patterns appearing on certain silicone screen protecting cases as users’ fingerprints.” As a temporary solution, Samsung recommends that users either remove the problematic screen protectors in question and reregister their prints or use a different authentication method (like a regular password) until the patch is released.