Do you used a privacy screen or fingerprint reader?

GrouchyGrape

Because Google and many others in their infinite wisdom decided it'd be a good idea to put the fingerprint reader in the screen, we can't have both a privacy screen and utilize the privacy benefits of using the fingerprint reader. What do you do?

I currently use an 8 digit pin with keypad scrambling. However, I'm often near cameras and prefer the privacy of being able to simply use a fingerprint to unlock the phone. I also use fingerprint to unlock my password manager so I don't have to enter my password in public. Do y'all forgo the fingerprint reader all together?

Unlike seemingly many others, my fingerprint reader works VERY reliably. I maybe have one failed fingerprint read every few months. So giving it up would be a sacrifice for me. I would prefer to keep using it. I thought about one with a hole for the fingerprint reader but I rely on glide typing and I worry this would annoy me too much.

Any suggestions?

Jojojo

GrouchyGrape My suggestion would be to simply turn down your screen brightness as low as you can when you're in public and need to type in credentials and whatnot. I feel your pain, though. I would love to be able to use a privacy screen, but my line of works requires me to be able to quickly open my screen and confirm credentials in an instant. I do wish my old Pixel with a rear fingerprint reader wasn't end-of-life for GrapheneOS.

Fog-Nearby

GrouchyGrape I’m using both a privacy screen and fingerprint biometrics on my Pixel 8.
What I did was apply the privacy screen first and then setup my fingerprints after. The steps I took:

Applied privacy screen
Toggled on Settings > Display > Increase touch sensitivity
Added fingerprints

Biometrics work great for me on the Lock Screen and unlocking apps.

router99

GrouchyGrape Unlike seemingly many others, my fingerprint reader works VERY reliably.

I haven't seen much in the way of such a complaint. If your the skin on my thumb is excessively dry, it has a little trouble. When this happens, I just exhale air into my thumb and it takes care of the problem.

longshots

GrouchyGrape

However, I'm often near cameras and prefer the privacy of being able to simply use a fingerprint to unlock the phone.

Are you saying you don't know how to position yourself to eliminate that danger, or there are so many cameras that there is no place to hide?

GrouchyGrape

Fog-Nearby may I ask which specific protector you ordered?

roamer4223

Fog-Nearby would you mind sending me a link to the privacy screen you use?

Fog-Nearby

GrouchyGrape roamer4223
Happy to: Amazon link to screen protector for Pixel 8

At the moment, it’s unavailable for the Pixel 8, but I see other listings for different Pixels if you’ve got a different model.
Applying it was janky and more difficult than other screen protectors I’ve used in the past. It’s a 3 pack, which is good because I botched the first 2.
Hope it works out for you.

roamer4223

Fog-Nearby Thank you. I have an 8 pro but will look out for that brand. Worth a try, the one I tried before just didn't work with the sensor. But I do have really dry hands, which doesn't help

locked

I have a privacy screen with a dice-ware pw. The manufacturer claims that it disables the fingerprint sensor. The reason for this is likely that Google chose to go with an optical sensor instead of Ultrasonic.

GrouchyGrape

longshots I'm saying that there are many cameras and there are times that it would be extremely difficult to hide my phone from them. There are times that I simply wouldn't be able to reasonably do so. There are times that I can't use the fingerprint reader and end up having to change my pin because I needed to unlock my phone in a specific scenario.

Silverdude

Luckily the Pixel Fold has a power button/fingerprint reader on the side, so it's very easy for me to unlock in either hand (multiple fingerprints registered). Hopefully future phones will do the same thing.

GrouchyGrape

Happy to report that a tpu privacy screen protector seems to be working great. Fingerprint registration took way longer than normal but eventually worked and unlocking so far has been without error

de0u

GrouchyGrape Happy to report that a tpu privacy screen protector seems to be working great. Fingerprint registration took way longer than normal but eventually worked and unlocking so far has been without error

Thanks for reporting back! This information may be useful to many people.

PaulDavis

Before application, couldn't you just cut a hole in the screen where the fingerprint would sit? Use a coin and a craft knife

GrouchyGrape

PaulDavis I mentioned that near the end of my original post. I rely too much on glide typing