Fingerprint scanner not working on your Xiaomi Mi A3 after upgrading to Android 10? There is a workaround

As OS upgrades go, the Android 10 rollout for the Mi A3 has been spectacularly shambolic. Initially promised to be on the first devices to receive Google's latest OS, the Mi A3 has remained on Android 9.0 Pie of Android One even after Xiaomi upgraded its predecessor to Android 10. Unsurprisingly, fans grew impatient, especially after Xiaomi started blaming the outbreak of COVID-19 for delays to the commencement of the Android 10 rollout. Consequently, it seemed that the Mi A3 would receive Android 10 this month, instead.

Then, Xiaomi started pushing Android 10 to a few Mi A3 handsets, which sent people into overdrive. Despite stressing that the update would be rolled out in batches, outlets declared that the Mi A3 was "finally receiving Android 10". If that was not enough, then the build turned out to be a complete dud. Correspondingly, and as we reported earlier today, Xiaomi has now pulled the update.

With people now proclaiming that the debacle could be a "tipping point" for Xiaomi and the Android One program, it seems that there is a workaround for at least one of the bugs that are plaguing some Mi A3 handsets currently running Android 10. Among one of the many reported issues is the fingerprint scanner not working when the screen is off. According to a post on Mi.com, a workaround to bring back the functionality is as follows:

• Go to Settings → Security → Fingerprint
• Type your Pattern/Password
• Check that "Show fingerprint icon when the screen is off" is enabled
• If so, go to Settings → Display → Advanced → Lock screen display and enable "New notifications"

Judging by the responses in the ensuing thread, the fix has worked in some cases. However, it may not resolve other fingerprint-related issues on your Mi A3. At this stage, we would recommend rolling back to Android 9.0 Pie where possible.