14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Mobile build 15245 with a series of fixes and improvements, and while some known bugs are also listed, there’s at least one issue that the company should add to the release notes.
It appears that this latest build breaks down the fingerprint sensor on the only two Windows phones that do come with such a feature, with several insiders complaining on Twitter that unlocking their devices with the fingerprint no longer works unless the screen is on.
The HP Elite X3 and the Alcatel IDOL 4S are the two Windows phones boasting a fingerprint reader, and unlike the Lumia 950 XL which uses iris recognition and requires a quick press of the lock button, users can unlock these devices by simply having their fingerprint scanned regardless of the current state of the screen.
This means that display can be on or off and the phone still gets unlocked, a behavior that’s currently available on Android and iOS as well.
Microsoft currently investigating
But after installing Windows 10 Mobile build 15245 this feature no longer works correctly, and owners of the two phones need to first press the power button to wake up the device and only then scan their fingerprints to get access to the phone.
Dona Sarkar, head of the Windows Insider program, said on Twitter that the Windows team received several reports of broken fingerprint readers in the latest builds, so they are currently investigating, with a build most likely to be shipped with the next mobile build.
It goes without saying that the company cannot be blamed for anything this time since the build is shipped as part of the Windows Insider program, though it’s a little unexpected to see bugs like this going live at a time when Microsoft should finalize development of the next OS update.
It remains to be seen when the next build goes live, but if everything goes as planned, it should land in just a few days next week.
yep, we're having a look. Thanks for letting us know. — Dona Sarkar (@donasarkar) August 26, 2017