New Android 16 feature lets you unlock Pixel phone even when screen is off

Google is set to introduce a much-needed feature for its Pixel smartphones with the upcoming Android 16 beta 3 update, as per a report by the Android Authority. The new feature, called Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock, will allow users to unlock their Pixel devices using the under-display fingerprint scanner even when the screen is turned off. With the Android 16 update, Google is finally bringing the Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock feature to all compatible Pixel models, making the unlocking process faster and intuitive. The Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock feature was first spotted in the second developer preview of Android 16, but it was initially limited to the Google Pixel 9 series. Once the stable Android 16 update rolls out, all Pixel phone users will need to manually enable the Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock toggle in the settings, as it will be disabled by default.