These Galaxy S23 issues might make you hold off on installing One UI 6.1

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From non-responsive biometric scanners to charging woes, Samsung has some fixing to do.

Camera housing of Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus against white background

What you need to know

  • Owners of a Galaxy S23 device have started reporting problems with the line after installing the One UI 6.1 update.
  • Problems include issues with the biometrics (fingerprint) scanner, which isn't picking up a user's finger and forcing them to re-attempt a scan to unlock their phones.
  • Other users on Samsung's forums report having problems with the device's charging, stating it isn't charging at its maximum strength.

We're virtually a week into the reception of One UI 6.1 for Samsung's past-gen devices, and a couple of glaring problems are appearing.

Users have taken to Reddit to report problems with the biometrics (fingerprint) reader of their Galaxy S23 Ultra following One UI 6.1 (via 9to5Google). The user states that their "fingerprint sensor randomly doesn't register my input" when attempting to unlock their device.

They add that no apparent error is appearing. They are forced to lift and press their finger against the screen again to restart the process. Other S23 Ultra owners chimed into the thread, stating they encountered the same issue shortly after downloading and installing the One UI 6.1 update.

Most users state that they are required to touch their finger against the scanner twice for it to work, considering it fails on the first attempt. This doesn't appear to happen all the time but is instead sporadic.

Another thread discussed the same problem but involved a base Galaxy S23 model. The user stated the scanner isn't "working immediately" and causes them to wait "three to four seconds" before their device realizes they're attempting entry. One user commented, saying they've encountered this problem on their S23 FE.

Elsewhere, users took to Samsung's community forums to discuss charging and heating problems with the Galaxy S23 series (via 9to5Google). The user's screenshot showed that their device only charged at 15W instead of its max 25W capability. Other users reported that their device was running a little warmer than usual.

Fingerprint issue after One UI 6.1 update from r/GalaxyS23Ultra

There could be some good news here as we're just getting into April, which means Samsung will start pushing this month's security patch to its slew of devices. The Galaxy S24 started receiving it quite early, at the end of March. Perhaps Samsung will delay its April patch for the Galaxy S23 series to work in a fix. If not, users may have to wait until May before seeing relief.

Samsung started rolling out its One UI 6.1 update packed with Galaxy AI features to its past-gen devices on March 28 in the U.S. The entire Galaxy S23 series was eligible for the update, which notably involves the devices users have reported problems with since the update became available. Galaxy AI's features also graced the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Fold 5, and Tab S9 series.

Users of these devices can now access Google's "Circle to Search," Live Translate, Chat Assist, and more.

Nickolas Diaz
Nickolas Diaz
News Writer

Nickolas is always excited about tech and getting his hands on it. Writing for him can vary from delivering the latest tech story to scribbling in his journal. When Nickolas isn't hitting a story, he's often grinding away at a game or chilling with a book in his hand.

14 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ebrandwein
    My s23 ultra can not connect with the s pen. Working fine before 6.1
    Reply
  • justafew
    ebrandwein said:
    My s23 ultra can not connect with the s pen. Working fine before 6.1
    That sucks. Just tested mine and it still works thankfully
    Reply
  • winmod21
    AC News said:
    Samsung Galaxy S23 owners started reporting several problems following the One UI 6.1 update.

    These Galaxy S23 issues might make you hold off on installing One UI 6.1 : Read more
    "Graced" ??? How exactly has Samsung's UI 6.1 update graced the devices and users that—due to the update—have been having what sounds like all kinds of 6.1 update-related issues and problems?
    Reply
  • Village_Idiot
    Ugh...another poorly written click-bate article.
    Reply
  • mustang7757
    ebrandwein said:
    My s23 ultra can not connect with the s pen. Working fine before 6.1
    Try rebooting your device or resetting the Spen
    Reply
  • mustang7757
    Village_Idiot said:
    Ugh...another poorly written click-bate article.
    Why do you think that?
    They are reporting users running into this issue from other sites like reddit, 9 to 5 Google etc..
    Reply
  • Village_Idiot
    mustang7757 said:
    Why do you think that?
    They are reporting users running into this issue from other sites like reddit, 9 to 5 Google etc..
    How many users? One? A dozen? A couple dozen? Is this problem self-inflicted? At no point does it say how many people are affected. Just someone complained on one site. It could also be the same people complaining on multiple sites. Ten people posting on ten sites does not necessarily mean 100 people. It could be the same ten people posting to ten different forums.

    Also, you do realize that Android Central's (and every other media outlet, tech or otherwise) primary revenue stream is advertisements, right? Issues like this are exaggerated or amplified so people will click the link. The more articles like this that are published, the more money they make. There are more bloody ads in this article, than there is information.

    These reports then get reported by another site (like 9 to 5 Google, or Android Central), which then gets regurgitated on another site (like SamMobile, XDA, and Android Police). If you were to look at other forums, you would find this same report almost word-for-word. This amplifies the actual issue to make it seem that thousands of people are having the same problem, when in reality, it is maybe just a few dozen.

    That's not denying that people are having a problem. I'm saying that you should read these types of articles with a critical eye and take it with a very large grain of salt.
    Reply
  • mustang7757
    Village_Idiot said:
    How many users? One? A dozen? A couple dozen? Is this problem self-inflicted? At no point does it say how many people are affected. Just someone complained on one site. It could also be the same people complaining on multiple sites. Ten people posting on ten sites does not necessarily mean 100 people. It could be the same ten people posting to ten different forums.

    Also, you do realize that Android Central's (and every other media outlet, tech or otherwise) primary revenue stream is advertisements, right? Issues like this are exaggerated or amplified so people will click the link. The more articles like this that are published, the more money they make. There are more bloody ads in this article, than there is information.

    These reports then get reported by another site (like 9 to 5 Google, or Android Central), which then gets regurgitated on another site (like SamMobile, XDA, and Android Police). If you were to look at other forums, you would find this same report almost word-for-word. This amplifies the actual issue to make it seem that thousands of people are having the same problem, when in reality, it is maybe just a few dozen.

    That's not denying that people are having a problem. I'm saying that you should read these types of articles with a critical eye and take it with a very large grain of salt.
    You bring up some interesting points but still someone going give the news regardless.
    Reply
  • kiniku
    I've owned the 21,22,23 Ultras. Despite the hype, their “ultrasonic” fingerprint sensor has never demonstrated any superiority from the optical sensor on my OnePlus 12. And now, it's out with 6.1. More fun.
    Reply
  • Village_Idiot
    mustang7757 said:
    You bring up some interesting points but still someone going give the news regardless.
    Sadly, just to generate click-bate revenue. By the way, its not just sites like AC or Android Police. One of our local news outlets here literally posted a news article that was only three sentences. Three very poorly written sentences at that.
    Reply