What you need to know
- The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro just got their second November update, this one coming mid-month on November 16.
- Verizon provided a changelog that shows only one fix: the fingerprint scanner.
- Google typically only updates Pixel phones at the beginning of the month.
Updated November 17 at 7:30am ET to include update specifics.
Owners of the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have already received one November update — bringing the phone up to date with the November 5, 2021 security patch — and now Google is sending out another update that appears to be addressing something else entirely.
According to a Verizon support page, the Pixel 6 fingerprint scanner might finally be fixed. Simply put, it says:
The current software update improves the performance of your device's fingerprint sensor.
Google's own support page post confirms that the fingerprint scanner should now work better than before.
The mid-November update was originally spotted by 9to5Google and goes by the build number SD1A.210817.037. That number is a small bump from the current build number of .036 to .037 and fixes just one of the Pixel 6's many nagging little issues: the fingerprint scanner.
The fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6 has been one of the biggest irritations for customers and reviewers, alike, who have complained about the lack of speed and accuracy. While under display fingerprint scanners have had issues in the past, the one Google used on the Pixel 6 felt more like those first-generation scanners than ones on phones like the Galaxy S21.
You should expect an over-the-air update to appear on your Pixel 6 sometime in the near future. This update is for all Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro variants, including the special Verizon models of both phones.
It's Google's best
The Google Pixel 6 is the best phone Google has ever made, with a brand-new Google-made processor and a set of stunning cameras.
