Android update bricks some Pixel phones' fingerprint sensor
Users of Google's Pixel smartphones have complained that the latest Android Nougat update has caused the fingerprint sensors on some devices to 'brick' or stop working. Some Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X owners have also reported the same issue. The 7.1.2 update was meant to fix bugs such as early shutdown, audio cracking and pink bands on the camera screen.
Google has started rolling out the Android Nougat 7.1.2 update to all Pixel and Pixel XL users across the globe. The Android Nougat 7.1.2 update brings with a number of bug fixes and improvements targeted at the two Pixel smartphones in particular. A number of problems such as the early shutdown issue, audio cracking issue and the issue of pink banding seen on the camera have been resolved.However, the 7.1.2 update has brought with it an altogether new problem for Pixel owners. The update is reportedly disabling the fingerprint scanner in some Pixel and Pixel XL devices. Many users have taken to the Google Product forums to complain about the same. It has to be kept in mind that not all users are experiencing the problem. If you have a Pixel smartphone, there is a chance you might not experience this issue at all after updating. Additionally, some Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X owners are also experiencing the same issue after installing the update. They are getting an error message stating "fingerprint hardware not available" when trying to unlock the device with via the fingerprint sensor.Also Read:  HTC U Ultra vs Google Pixel: Is HTC finally back in the game?According to posts on the forum, rebooting the device or clearing the cache does not seem to solve the problem. Even deleting your configured fingerprints does not work as then the device does not allow you to add any new fingerprints.If you are facing the issue, the only option at this time seems to be to wait for Google to issue an update or try to revert back to Android 7.1.1 Nougat if you can. It seems some Pixel and Nexus owners will have to make do with traditional means of unlocking the smartphone till a fix is issued.The latest iteration of Android Nougat is now also rolling out to Nexus 6P users enrolled in Google's Android Beta program. Rather strangely, Nexus 6P users of the Beta program were stuck on the 7.1.2 Beta release while regular Nexus 6P owners had already got the stable update. Now Google has rectified the situation and the stable release is being rolled out to users enrolled in the Beta program.