Bottom IR Sensors Not Working - X 2014 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Upgraded the suite of Moto apps two days ago (Moto Voice, Moto Actions, etc.). Since then, my bottom sensors are not working at all. I have to make sure the top sensors pick up my motion in order to wake the phone. I have covered the top sensors and verified the bottom ones are dead. Everything was working fine before the upgrade. Anyone else having this issue?

The bottom "sensors" never worked because they are not sensors- they are IR flashers. There is only one sensor and it's at the top. The bottom ones send out IR, the top picks it up.
Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk

Hmm...I'm not sure about that. I don't have anything specific that allows me to refute your claim, however, anything I have found states the phone has 4 low powered IR sensors (one on each corner). Additionally, I used to be able to "approach" the phone from the bottom half as if I was picking it up and it would instantly light up the screen. Since the update this is not the case and I have to be high enough on the phone to be picked up by the top ones. This "bottom approach" is the same method demonstrated in the Moto Actions "demo" on the phone itself but just doesn't work anymore.
I appreciate your response but from what I've read, and my own anecdotal evidence, seems to indicate this isn't completely accurate.

Huff009 said:
Hmm...I'm not sure about that. I don't have anything specific that allows me to refute your claim, however, anything I have found states the phone has 4 low powered IR sensors (one on each corner). Additionally, I used to be able to "approach" the phone from the bottom half as if I was picking it up and it would instantly light up the screen. Since the update this is not the case and I have to be high enough on the phone to be picked up by the top ones. This "bottom approach" is the same method demonstrated in the Moto Actions "demo" on the phone itself but just doesn't work anymore.
I appreciate your response but from what I've read, and my own anecdotal evidence, seems to indicate this isn't completely accurate.
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Click to collapse
I'm telling you, it's the case. Turn off your lights and look very closely at your phone and you can actually see the emitters working with your own eyes. They turn on when Moto Display is off, and the moment Moto Display turns on, the emitters turn off. There are 3 emitters total- two at the bottom and one just to the right of the earpiece. Their purpose is to essentially bathe your hand in IR light, which the sensor then detects. That's how the system works. When documentation states that there are 4 low power sensors, it's really just for the layman who wouldn't necessarily understand the actual way it works without it being explained. Yes there are 4 devices on the face of the phone to make it work, but only one of them is an actual sensor. Like I said, the other 3 are emitters.
All that said, when you reach for the phone, your hand needs to be high enough from it when you come in from the bottom that it is within the sensor's field of view. Otherwise it won't work. It seems that 3-4 inches is the lower limit. Anything closer than that and it won't pick up your hand until it's closer to the top of the phone.

Alright. That explanation seems plausible enough. I had read somewhere that somebody else was saying their lower sensors weren't working and I started "testing" mine, so maybe I was expecting there to be an issue and ended up finding one that wasn't there. You are correct, if I ensure my hand is a minimum of 4-5 inches from the phone it seems to react just fine.
Thanks for taking the time to respond and explain it, I really appreciate it.

Huff009 said:
Alright. That explanation seems plausible enough. I had read somewhere that somebody else was saying their lower sensors weren't working and I started "testing" mine, so maybe I was expecting there to be an issue and ended up finding one that wasn't there. You are correct, if I ensure my hand is a minimum of 4-5 inches from the phone it seems to react just fine.
Thanks for taking the time to respond and explain it, I really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No prob bud, happy to help!

Related

Build quality

Hi there,
I love my diamond, but I have one problem. The 'Home' side of my buttons at the bottom of my diamond seems raised higher than the 'Back' side, the 'Home' corner in particular. As a result, in the dark, I can see the white LED shining through a small 'crack'. It's not a huge problem, I just wondered if others have the same issue.
Thanks.
Same here.....doesn´t bother me a bit, though......
Anyone else? I assume this is just part of the build then. Perhaps there is something extra 'packed' under the left hand side...
I noticed the same thing almost immediately myself, but believe this may actually be a "work as designed" thing. It could simply be a difference of what is under the touchpad on one side vs the other.
In my case, I was happy to have gotten a phone with a "calibrated" G-Sensor, so I was not about to change it because of this...
Mine has a slight "crack" on the left side where the backlight is shining through but its not higher than the right side. Not bothered too much as I'm happy with my calibrated G-sensor so not gonna bother changing it.
kien said:
Mine has a slight "crack" on the left side where the backlight is shining through but its not higher than the right side. Not bothered too much as I'm happy with my calibrated G-sensor so not gonna bother changing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently waiting to hear back from Orange regarding my 'slightly off' G-sensor. It's not off by loads, just slightly. They say they are in talks with HTC currently regarding a solution. They have a list of people with the problem. They said to either expect a software update (not sure what good that would do, although if they uploaded some sort of calibration tool it would be good), or a text telling me to call them to discuss the matter further. That was on Friday, and they said a response would come in 5-7 days...

Capacitive Button Responsiveness?

Recently, I've been considering getting a Nexus One, however, most of the reviews I read say that the N1's capacitive buttons are a little unresponsive. You must tap the upper half of the button as opposed to the bottom half of the button.
I've also read that some of the cyanogen roms have fixed this problem. Can anyone give me more insight on this issue?
I've never had a problem with mine.
I saw a review saying that they got in the way when typing w/ the onscreen keyboard, but I haven't even had that, and I'd like to think that I have pretty normal-sized fingers.
Some people have problems, others don't i personally haven't. I wouldn't consider it to be something important enough to sway me from a sale though.
Stock Rom had this issue. If you unlock your bootloader, all the kernels (and mods) available now have a fix for this, as well as a few other things.
Im sure when 2.2 update comes out this fix will be passed on to the stock version too (at least as far as im aware it hasnt already!?). So tbh this isnt an issue for you not to get a nexus one...also, there's no point getting a nexus one if ur too scared to unlock the bootloader!!
adam18488 said:
Stock Rom had this issue. If you unlock your bootloader, all the kernels (and mods) available now have a fix for this, as well as a few other things.
Im sure when 2.2 update comes out this fix will be passed on to the stock version too (at least as far as im aware it hasnt already!?). So tbh this isnt an issue for you not to get a nexus one...also, there's no point getting a nexus one if ur too scared to unlock the bootloader!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely! That's one of the biggest reasons why I want an N1. It has a good root and dev community and gets android updates first.
I just thought it'd be annoying to have to use a phone with crappy capacitive buttons, but I'm glad to hear that the problem has been fixed.
The only other thing I'm worried about is the dualtouch but it's most definitely going to get fixed in the next update.
Thanks to everyone for their input. I'll definitely be picking up an N1 soon
I have rooted and custom roms etc and I still hate the capacitive buttons with a passion. They are not nearly enough to topple the overall awesome that is the N1 but man I hate those things.
I only hate those buttons, when Nex is in my car mount!
adam18488 said:
Stock Rom had this issue. If you unlock your bootloader, all the kernels (and mods) available now have a fix for this, as well as a few other things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this true? I've tried plenty of ROMs and kernels and I don't remember any of them changing the button sensitivity.
The best way to show off how frustrating the buttons can be is to give the phone to someone that's never played with it before and watch as they struggle to register touches on the buttons. The people that use the phone daily have recognized that the touchpad is above the button and never think about it any more.
It's very apparent as soon as you rotate the phone into a different position though.
PrawnPoBoy said:
Is this true? I've tried plenty of ROMs and kernels and I don't remember any of them changing the button sensitivity.
The best way to show off how frustrating the buttons can be is to give the phone to someone that's never played with it before and watch as they struggle to register touches on the buttons. The people that use the phone daily have recognized that the touchpad is above the button and never think about it any more.
It's very apparent as soon as you rotate the phone into a different position though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also haven't noticed any change in the sensitivity with different ROMs or kernels. For me though, sometimes if I hit right on top of the button it won't register. I am used to just tapping it a little above and it works everytime.
As others have said, this is definitely not a deal breaker for me or shouldn't be for any person IMO. This phone's pros far outweigh the cons.
The best way to show off how frustrating the buttons can be is to give the phone to someone that's never played with it before and watch as they struggle to register touches on the buttons. The people that use the phone daily have recognized that the touchpad is above the button and never think about it any more.
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Click to collapse
When someone is doing that you should just say that it has Finger print authentication technology
absolutely true and this was my discovery today (day 4 with n1). the buttons work fine if you cheat towards the top of the button area and overlap into the screen area.
that solved it for me.
resolved for me for now...
xboomer55 said:
absolutely true and this was my discovery today (day 4 with n1). the buttons work fine if you cheat towards the top of the button area and overlap into the screen area.
that solved it for me.
resolved for me for now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you just buy your N1 from Google brand new?
Those buttons are a pain in the bum, but you get used to them, the bigger problem is if the phone gets too cold it starts mis-registering the touchscreen necessitating a reboot or a bunch of mucking around to fix it. This is the biggest annoyance with the phone for me, hopefully they fix the screen calibration in 2.2!
Almost swapped mine for a Desire, thinking less of doing so now, unless anyone can offer a good reason
I got my N1 straight from Google on day one, and I'm currently running CM 5.06
I find the capacitive buttons to be _awful_ if I tap directly on them it takes 2-5 attempts to get it to register.
However, I have found that if I swipe from the button down off the bottom of the button it registers ever single time.
I'm pretty convinced that the problem isn't the digitiser itself but in the driver that splits that section of the digitiser off. I believe it checks to see if there is upward movement before registering a button tap and if it does detect upward motion it cancels the tap event and forwards the event as a touch screen event. I also thing that because I have pretty big fingers any time I press the flattening of my finger registers as a slight upward motion.
If I could find the button "sub"-driver I'd be hacking at it right now.
Still, I wouldn't give up my N1.
SilentMobius said:
I got my N1 straight from Google on day one, and I'm currently running CM 5.06
I find the capacitive buttons to be _awful_ if I tap directly on them it takes 2-5 attempts to get it to register.
However, I have found that if I swipe from the button down off the bottom of the button it registers ever single time.
I'm pretty convinced that the problem isn't the digitiser itself but in the driver that splits that section of the digitiser off. I believe it checks to see if there is upward movement before registering a button tap and if it does detect upward motion it cancels the tap event and forwards the event as a touch screen event. I also thing that because I have pretty big fingers any time I press the flattening of my finger registers as a slight upward motion.
If I could find the button "sub"-driver I'd be hacking at it right now.
Still, I wouldn't give up my N1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just realized that!!
It does not get the upward movement
It gets: right, left & down
So this means, one could set different options for different directions...
hacker01 said:
Recently, I've been considering getting a Nexus One, however, most of the reviews I read say that the N1's capacitive buttons are a little unresponsive. You must tap the upper half of the button as opposed to the bottom half of the button.
I've also read that some of the cyanogen roms have fixed this problem. Can anyone give me more insight on this issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have noticed no issues when holding the phone in my hands but the responsiveness is not that great if the phone is flat on a desk or a similar surface. I wonder what if anything the accelerometer may play a factor.
PrawnPoBoy said:
Is this true? I've tried plenty of ROMs and kernels and I don't remember any of them changing the button sensitivity.
The best way to show off how frustrating the buttons can be is to give the phone to someone that's never played with it before and watch as they struggle to register touches on the buttons. The people that use the phone daily have recognized that the touchpad is above the button and never think about it any more.
It's very apparent as soon as you rotate the phone into a different position though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dunna man, my 3-year-old daughter figured it out within a minute of getting my phone. I set her up in a game and she decided she wanted something else, so she messed with the capacitive buttons until she got out of the game. Once she had it once or twice (~5-10 seconds for her to figure out each time) it was pretty much instant after that. If a 3-yo can figure it out, I'm pretty sure it's not THAT difficult. Annoying, sure....but not difficult.
hacker01 said:
Did you just buy your N1 from Google brand new?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Direct from Google.
Wow there's definitely a good mix of answers. I thought that the newer batches of N1's fixed the capacitive button problem, but apparently not.
I guess there's not a definite answer. It seems the only conclusion you can make is that some N1's may still have the problem, some may not. Some can be fixed with custom roms and unlocking the bootloader and some cannot. Your results may very.
EDIT: After rereading some of the previous posts (more carefully. excuse my sleep deprived state lol), the capacitive button issue might actually be more of a feature than an issue. I've read similar posts about the capacitive buttons having that sort of "motion detection" thing to prevent accident presses. Hopefully for anyone still having the problem, you can reread some of the posts on this page and give their methods a try
I haven't had a problem with mine but I haven't had the problems most people say they have with the phone so I would recommend this phone to anyone that wants an android phone
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Sent from my Nexus One

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 S-Pen Sensitivity Issue

Starting a new thread since I could not find any existing thread on this and it is quite surprising since this is a widespread issue and for the same reason Samsung service here in Melbourne even refused to acknowledge this is an issue! There logic seemingly being if the issue is present in the demo unit in the store as well, it is not an issue! Vodafone has also refused to honor the warranty, even though it is in the first month of my contract and they should be replacing the handset and dealing with Samsung, and have instead told me to provide them with an acknowledgement from Samsung stating it is an issue! Talk about deadlocks!
Now coming to the issue, I have found out that there are sensitivity issues when using the S-Pen on the bottom right and left corners of the screen. There are issue on the top part of the screen as well but they arent as serious. I would also request you to check the same on your device and report back if you are also facing the same.
To check, first get into diagnostics mode by dialing *#0*# and then go to the S-Pen tab.
1. As you can see in the video, the bottom right and left corners have definite and serious issues with S-Pen sensitivity. I found this out, and it is also a use case and one of the major reasons that I went for Galaxy Note 5, while taking a screen grab from the middle of the screen right until the bottom right corner. I just could not do it. As soon as the S Pen reaches near the corner, the sensitivity issue makes sure that input isn't recognized. Not only this, even when it manages to identify the touch, the tracking is random with the S-Pen having a mind of its own.
2. The second issue is while drawing on the top part of the screen with the S-Pen but this one is not as serious as the first one. You can see in the video that S-Pen loses sensitivity in one particular area of the screen. This is easily corrected though, by pressing the S-Pen harder on the screen.
This is apart from the lag and slowness issues that rear their ugly head every once in a while and in a phone which runs an Octa Core CPU with a whopping 4GB of RAM. This is my first Samsung in a long long time and it has left me disappointed again exactly like it did in the past whenever I bought a Samsung phone. To me the level of polish of the hardware on a device costing as much as this is simply not acceptable. What are your thought? Please report in this thread if you are facing the same issue as I am with the S-Pen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN41nE1lWGI
I have multiple stand-alone S Pens and don't experience what you're describing with them or the one included with the device.
BarryH_GEG said:
I have multiple stand-alone S Pens and don't experience what you're describing with them or the one included with the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange because I could replicate it on all the demo devices in the store. That is their reasoning for refusing the warranty as well.
I'll say this, the included pen is more responsive on the display than pens that are pre-Note 5 so something in the pen and/or display has changed.
Does it mean mine has a problem then? I am wondering if anyone else can also confirm the same?
I can confirm the bottom left and right corner of my note 5 behave just like OP's does... but wouldn't have found out if he didn't mention it
alexcarterkarsus said:
I can confirm the bottom left and right corner of my note 5 behave just like OP's does... but wouldn't have found out if he didn't mention it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Alex. I found the issue because I could not take a screenshot which finished near the bottom corner of the screen. Now smart select is a headline feature of the phone and this hadrware oversight to be is just not acceptable. The Samsung service would not acknowledge it as an issue let alone do something about it. May be it is only on the first batch of phone. Who knows?
I checked my phone (SM-N9208 TW, mfg: will add later) and the bottom corners have poor tracking with the hover point flying off the screen when held above.
Overall this issue shouldn't affect the usability of the phone if you rarely use these areas since it's still possible though difficult to use the s-pen there.
Edit: I re-tested with my phone flat and s-pen vertical*. The s-pen can be used on the very bottom corners with precise movements, so I don't think will affect usability for most people most of the time.
*Having the s-pen on an angle can affect the tracking significantly as seen in your video. I think the only solution would be to modify the s-pen to track at the very tip. This would probably make the tip non-replaceable and/or more complex and expensive. If someone has time, try using the s-pen without a tip and see if/how it tracks.
Update: I tested a SM-N920W8 in store and it had the same corner issue.
I complained to Vodafone again and they decided to take the phone back. Back to trusty properly working iPhone 6s Plus 64GB. My last Samsung device no matter what the specs. I wouldn't be interested in one even if it will have a gazillion core CPU and few petabytes of RAM.
I have the same issue. Can anyone else, note 5 users confirm about this issue. (Bottom right hover issue)
I dont't face that problem
Edit: here is a screenshot
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5LZ1p_SFZ3faTFJNzBzZGlnbzA/view?usp=docslist_api
Mine does it a little bit.
It still passes the test so I believe it's within spec. I honestly don't see it being a warranty issue.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Sometimes, it is the Cover magnet.
Sometimes, it is the Cover magnet. . Try to remove you phone from it and try the s pen in the touch area in question. It worked for me with in a leather flip cover. The same for the s note stopping error message.
same here
SM-N920C cihazımdan Tapatalk kullanılarak gönderildi
if you have magnetic casing will get such problems ....
or fake s-pen need to replace with original or better fake quality
My stylus is overly sensitive; so much that I can't write properly. All text is in continuation even when I lift the stylus off for whitespace. I even followed the article on adjusting the sensitivity of the S Pen by removing the click-button cover and adjusting the Potentiometer. However, the note 4 s pen is entierly different as it doesn't have any Potentiometer under the click button. Link to article:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2191333
What annoys me most is that I never had this issue before I flew overseas last month. I started experiencing this issue after I came back and it has rendered my s pen useless. Has anyone found a way to adjust Potentiometer on the new S spen yet (it might be located under top cap but i'm not sure how to open it).
espionage said:
My stylus is overly sensitive; so much that I can't write properly. All text is in continuation even when I lift the stylus off for whitespace. I even followed the article on adjusting the sensitivity of the S Pen by removing the click-button cover and adjusting the Potentiometer. However, the note 4 s pen is entierly different as it doesn't have any Potentiometer under the click button. Link to article:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2191333
What annoys me most is that I never had this issue before I flew overseas last month. I started experiencing this issue after I came back and it has rendered my s pen useless. Has anyone found a way to adjust Potentiometer on the new S spen yet (it might be located under top cap but i'm not sure how to open it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am having this same problem. Did you ever find a fix for it? Thank you!
Yes confirmation of problem
I found the same problem. If you try to draw a square in the S pen test mode you cannot draw a square in the bottom left or right corner. The square will turn into some kind of strange wiggle shape.
I live in Malaysia and went to the official Samsung head office service center and they confirmed this is a problem with all Note 5 models and the lady showed me her own personal Note 5 which had the same problem (actually worse than mine).
The service technicians said they do not know the reason for this problem. But as an electrical engineer I suspect there is some sensors in those areas which cause interference with the S Pen.

Screen Problem

I've bought an Xperia Z3+ two months ago, recently, I've discovered a certain bright spot on its screen, it's particularly available in white and bright backgrounds, it's less noticeable in black backgrounds, and not at all noticeable in non-solid backgrounds.
I know that it's a hardware issue, but the warranty here is a joke, and I don't want to pay for a new screen for such a small issue.
But on the other hand, once I noticed it, it's all I could see in the mobile, and it removes the whole premium feel in it.
I've manually removed the back cover and there's no issue in the battery that would make it press towards the screen and cause such issue.
I was wondering if there's any manual fix for it? I know that it's a light diffusing layer problem, mostly caused by a certain pressure, but is there a way to make it normal again? A certain pressure in an opposite way, or heat, or suction from behind, etc.
Here's a picture that indicates the issue "It's more visible and annoying in real life"
I have the exact same problem at the very same position as you point. My country does not support officially the Z3+ and so the cost is really high. I searched enough on the internet and i think it is where the vibration is but i cannot confirm it. I also see it all the time because i simply know it is right there. At my case, there are other 2 spots but not seen so easy.
I only hope not to get bigger. I wish i knew what caused this so to be carefull (such as sun exposure or something else - although i am REALLY careful as a person with my mobile phones). I cannot help you and i got really dissapointed after my long search on the web so i will have to live with that. It is hardware problem as i really tried everything to find out that.
Hope someone has any solution. It is not only on our phone but to others too. I hope the post won't get lost after some days!
AntwnisGr said:
I have the exact same problem at the very same position as you point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's so weird, I thought it was caused by an anonymous fall that I wasn't aware of, the other point is barely noticeable but it's at the top left.
Also, my upper speakers started to produce mixed loud and faint sounds when i play something whike the volume is below 25%.
It's winter, and I usually text near heatrrs, which made me think that the speakers problem was caused by the heater and the screen problem was caused by a particular fall.
Since the warranty is useless I've manually disassembled the phone and there's nothing behind that spot of screen except battery, the vibrator is way below the navkeys, there's no screen on the other side of it, which actually seems to prove that our spots are similar by coincidence, because there's no pressure on the other side except for battery, and I highly doubt yours is faulty, because mine isn't.
My z3+ single sim also has the spot at the same place, but it isnt that noticable since i use auto brightness, really weird, i thought because maybe of accidental high press when the phone was in my pocket.Anyway, I'll switch to XZ premium in december, that sh*t is dope
On the top left corner i have too! So it is not a coincidence. Something is there that you couldn't see when you opened it. I only hope it doens't get worse..
I have it too not only there also in the right bottom corner and a line of 1 centimeters like 1 inch bow in the left upper corner one day was not in there and to the other plaff they appear
Sent from my E6533 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Now that multiple people have it, I started to suspect that there's actually something.
I might open if again when I can't live with it anymore, but for now I'll try to enjoy it as it's new, and hopefully won't get worse.
I have a z3 and z4 that also have these white spots..no way to fix. look up tv lcd problems your not gonna be able to fix....it gonna keep me from buying anymore sonys till they switch to oled.
I have the same problem in the same position and it was happen after a warranty repair.... Sony didn't have noticed it....

Can anyone get the fingerprint scanner to work most of the time?

The fingerprint scanner on the Nokia 9 is terrible! Seems to only read it 20% of the time. I use face unlock sometimes which is nice but I can't always hold phone up to face. Tempted to just use smart lock with my android wear watch but there goes my security. May end up trying to add fingerprints again for a 3rd time...
Mine almost always works, but I have to apply some pressure to it. It's not like most other in-display readers that work with just resting your finger on the screen.
I have each thumb trained twice on it.
It fails completely with a glass screen protector (at least for me).
Worst scanner. Works 50 percent or less and with multiple scans of same fingerprint. Utterly useless.Ar least the Galaxy S10 plus was fixed with updates and my success rate is 90% + on that phone.
Sent from my Nokia 9 using Tapatalk
It's a painful fingerprint scanner, but I've found a way to make it reliable. Not necessarily convenient, but reliable..
Before scanning, I lick my thumb of index finger lightly, then run them together leaving them just slightly damp (just enough so they don't slide smoothly across the phone screen), then touch firmly, but certainly not hard, on the sensor patch.
Works almost first time every time. I also used this same method when training the prints.
stiebs said:
It's a painful fingerprint scanner, but I've found a way to make it reliable. Not necessarily convenient, but reliable..
Before scanning, I lick my thumb of index finger lightly, then run them together leaving them just slightly damp (just enough so they don't slide smoothly across the phone screen), then touch firmly, but certainly not hard, on the sensor patch.
Works almost first time every time. I also used this same method when training the prints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know where that thumb has been since the last time you licked it??? :silly: :silly: :laugh: :laugh:
I received my phone yesterday. My fingerprint scanner seems to work just fine. There are a couple times where it did take a couple tries, but it's been nothing like I've been reading. I'm perfectly content with it. I'll also add that it's been working just as well for me with a plastic screen protector on it.
You guys never had a xiaomi mi 5s. If so, you would not complain about fingerprint scanner ?
I've had about a 75% success rate with the fingerprint scanner. I set it up in a dark room and registered both thumbs and index fingers. There are times when it won't read my fingerprint at all, which seems to be software related. Other times, it will say not recognized. In those cases, I've tried to place my hand over my phone as if I'm covering my PIN at the ATM, creating a bit of a shadow or darkness over the fingerprint area of the screen and then trying it, which seems to work a lot more often. Covering it with the other hand might be a fluke, but I am able to repeat the results again and again.
Edit: I deleted my post, because it was not repeatable. Whatever the software issue is, its too intermittent to isolate through physical means alone. Someone with programming knowledge though should be able to see what might be causing the problem and provide some insight on a workaround until then.
Right now for me, it seems to work when its being charged and battery saver seems to affect its success rate.
for me it depends on the situation, sometimes it doesn't work at all. Things like temp etc seems to be influencing the succes rate. my xz3 has a reader at the back and it doesn't work sometimes as well. they are equal in reliability. But if you are used to a Huawei (like the mate 9) it is terrible. I really had to adjust when I got the XZ3 (coming from a mate 9).
I received mine this morning and it performed a system update out of the box.
I put a glass screen protector on the phone straight away and I've had some success with using the fingerprint reader, although not so much that I would like to use it all the time.
These are my observations so far,
- The 'press harder' message is deceptive. I have never got it to work by pressing harder when it tells me to press harder in a spot where my thumb/finger already is. Instead if I use that as a cue to re-position my thumb/finger then I have much more success. When it works, I have never had to press hard at all.
- It doesn't like my thumb very much. It takes some time to find the right position with my thumb, where as my forefinger is fine.
Update: 16:14
I've been persisting with it and have found the right amount of pressure to make it work more consistently. The message on the screen says press a little harder, and pressing it to the point where it flattens your skin out against the screen makes the chance of success better.
Moseman, i did everything you did, unfortunately its a software issue. You are right about the 'press harder' message, its not true. You don't need to press hard at all to get it to work, which i have been able to test successfully. The issue is not about pressure, its about placement. You must place your finger in the exact position that you placed it when you did the first half of the enrollment. Interestingly, i've noticed that apps that use the finger print reader as part of their login, seem to work much better. Such as ADP app or Bank apps.
You will notice that it probably works better while on charger, and works terrible with battery saver on. I tried many ways to find a workaround to get it to work consistently, but eventually it goes back to working 10% of the time. I believe they will create a fix here soon.
I've heard the face scanner login works much better. GL!
I got a good working scan by holding the phone in landscape mode while learning the scan. Might be coincidence , but i figured since the scanner is the shape of a flat rectangle it might cover more of my finger that way. (in normal use i just unlock in portrait mode, i just did the landscape thing to learn the fingerprint)
Interesting. I will try your method and see what i get. Will post an update later. Thanks Bk227865.
*Update: The method does appear to be working somewhat better. I will have to keep testing. Thanks.
*Update2: I don't know why im obsessed with getting this working. But BK you gave me an idea.
So after trying your method, i wondered if enrollment was the issue. Perhaps i wasn't doing it right, and maybe someone else did do it right, so let me know if you did the following.
I deleted all enrollments and tried again, this time with battery saver off (just to rule anything out related to that). I also made sure that my finger placement was exactly as described in the training photo. Originally and before, i had placed the edge of my fingerprints to the edge of the scanner, but actually it wants you to place the middle part on the scanner.
So when i re-enrolled using the exact finger placement the picture showed, it didn't work 100% of the time, but i do get somewhat better overall success with different finger placements.
Anyone willing to test this out?
Sliksta said:
Interesting. I will try your method and see what i get. Will post an update later. Thanks Bk227865.
*Update: The method does appear to be working somewhat better. I will have to keep testing. Thanks.
*Update2: I don't know why im obsessed with getting this working. But BK you gave me an idea.
So after trying your method, i wondered if enrollment was the issue. Perhaps i wasn't doing it right, and maybe someone else did do it right, so let me know if you did the following.
I deleted all enrollments and tried again, this time with battery saver off (just to rule anything out related to that). I also made sure that my finger placement was exactly as described in the training photo. Originally and before, i had placed the edge of my fingerprints to the edge of the scanner, but actually it wants you to place the middle part on the scanner.
So when i re-enrolled using the exact finger placement the picture showed, it didn't work 100% of the time, but i do get somewhat better overall success with different finger placements.
Anyone willing to test this out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can vouch for this, great discovery, Sliksta! :good:
UPDATE:
After further experimenting, it seems like the results are only slightly better and this is not a permanent solution.
Wow. Really improved! Almost 8/10 now
The way I did it was placing my thumb in different angles from the beginning. Don't have a lot of troubles with it. Some times the light just doesn't switch on. Direct sunlight doesn't help its accuracy. Wet fingers doesn't help as well. But I would say mostly it works
Thanks all and Chaosdark for testing. I still believe that battery saver somehow effects the consistency of its accuracy. I would say it works more often than not with battery saver off. This might be the inconsistency you are experiencing. Can you/anyone confirm it works better w/ battery saver off?
Today I think I've found something interesting, if you go to verification option in the fingerprint section under security and touch the FP scanner to verify which fingerprint enrollment belongs to which finger, I have found that it detects and identifies the fingerprints enrolled easily and quickly and doesn't ask you to press harder as often as on lockscreen ( needs more testing from other users).
This results makes me hopeful that a software fix is possible and in the making according to Nokia CEO how vaguely suggested there will be a fix in an upcoming update.
What do you guys think?
stiebs said:
It's a painful fingerprint scanner, but I've found a way to make it reliable. Not necessarily convenient, but reliable..
Before scanning, I lick my thumb of index finger lightly, then run them together leaving them just slightly damp (just enough so they don't slide smoothly across the phone screen), then touch firmly, but certainly not hard, on the sensor patch.
Works almost first time every time. I also used this same method when training the prints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This works 100% without pressing harder
Incredible

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