Galaxy Z Fold 6 no longer prompts you to set up a fingerprint

Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Earlier today, Samsung unveiled a new lineup of wearables and foldable phones. 
  • This includes the Galaxy Z Fold 6, with its side-mounted fingerprint scanner. 
  • During the initial setup process, the Fold 6 seemingly no longer prompts users to register fingerprints for biometrics. 

With the official announcement out of the way, Samsung's summer lineup of products is making its way into the hands of reviewers, Android Central included. Shortly after Unpacked came to a close, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 landed on my doorstep. 

Needless to say, I wasted little time getting it out of the box in order to get everything set up. Throughout the initial setup process, there was one thing that I noticed — the Fold 6 didn't prompt me to register any fingerprints or other biometrics. Instead, I was only prompted to enter the passcode from my previous phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

It's not like the Fold 6 doesn't have a fingerprint scanner, as it's built into the "Side" button embedded in the frame. This is the first time that I can remember when I wasn't prompted to either register a fingerprint or use face recognition. Thankfully, this was quickly remedied by jumping into the Security and Privacy settings, selecting Biometrics, and then following the on-screen steps.

(Image credit: Android Central)

What remains unclear is whether the option to set up fingerprints is being removed from the onboarding process. It's entirely possible that there's just a random bug that will be squashed with a proceeding update. In a lot of instances, companies release a "Day One" software patch, fixing things that might not be working right and couldn't be taken care of before shipments begin. 

We'll be keeping an eye on this in the coming weeks to see if Samsung releases an update that "fixes" the lack of a prompt. If not, we have to ask whether this is a sign of bigger changes to come. 

Andrew Myrick
Senior Editor — Smartphones (North America), Chromebooks & Tablets

Andrew Myrick is a Senior Editor at Android Central. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is collecting different headphones, even if they all end up in the same drawer.

  • kiniku
    Incredible story. I was on the edge of my seat reading each sentence.
    Reply
  • Village_Idiot
    How can it "no longer" prompt you to set up a fingerprint when it is a brand new phone and is still in pre-order status. Where does AC hire these, "journalist" from? The 7th grade?
    Reply
  • Mike Dee
    Why does it really matter if there is a prompt or not?
    Reply
  • mustang7757
    Even if you don't get a prompt, you're going into settings to set it up lol
    Reply