Samsung comes under fire for Galaxy 10 devices being unlocked by unregistered fingerprints

A scene of a video showing an unregistered fingerprint unlocking a Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone simply by placing a silicone case over the screen.

YouTube videos show some devices being unlocked with fruit or knuckles

A scene of a video showing an unregistered fingerprint unlocking a Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone simply by placing a silicone case over the screen.

Amid complaints about Galaxy 10 series smartphones unlocking in response to unregistered fingerprints, consumer anxieties are growing with the posting of videos showing devices being unlocked with a piece of fruit. While banks, credit card companies, and other financial institutions have advised caution, Samsung Electronics has come under fire for its “lackluster” response after it announced that users should “register new fingerprints and avoid using a front cover until the next software update.”

Controversy has been growing after it was revealed last week that devices from Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10 series could be unlocked with unregistered fingerprints when used with certain silicone gel cases or screen protectors. Videos on online community sites showed devices with silicon cases on their front sides becoming unlocked when a persimmon or small doll was pressed against them. In other cases, devices were unlocked with the application of a printless knuckle or fist. Some users claimed they could be unlocked “even through the bundle silicone case they gave you when you buy the phone.”

As the fingerprint recognition controversy has dragged on, many YouTube users have begun posting “experiment videos” to test the veracity of some of the claims. But while the majority of YouTuber experiments showed the devices did not unlock with unregistered prints, some cases showed security features being disabled with unregistered prints when a silicon case with an irregular pattern was applied. The furor has only grown after revelations that security could be disabled with unregistered fingerprints not only for devices from the Galaxy S10 series, but also Galaxy Tab S6 devices with on-screen fingerprint recognition features.

In cases where fingerprint recognition is used for Samsung Pay and banking applications, the disabling could lead to financial mishaps. Major credit card companies responded on Oct. 20 with the recommendation that users turn off fingerprint recognition and use passwords with their mobile apps until the problem is resolved. Banks similarly called on users to disable fingerprint recognition until Samsung Electronics comes out with a patch to address the error, and to use a password or pattern instead for their mobile app logins.

Samsung Electronics made no mention of financial security in its Oct. 18 newsroom announcement of a software update to resolve the error. Instead, Samsung only said, “To prevent potential fingerprint recognition errors, consumers who use a silicone front cover are asked to remove the cover, register new fingerprints, and avoid using their front cover until there has been a software update.” The announcement suggests it views the problem as merely an error in which devices are unlocked when the irregular patterns on some front covers are recognized as fingerprints.

Consumers have expressed disappointment and concern over Samsung Electronics’ explanation. The fingerprint sensor in question is an ultrasound sensor introduced for the first time ever with the Galaxy S10, which Samsung Electronics has claimed cannot be circumvented by “fake fingerprints.” Prior to reports in the foreign press, Samsung Electronics also acknowledged the fingerprint recognition error in response to domestic consumer complaints, but did not provide any information on its resolution or risks.

By Cho Min-young, staff reporter

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