Fingerprint Scanner on Nokia’s Top Phone Can Be Tricked With Bubblegum – Reports

Most modern smartphone producers include fingerprint scanners in the top models of their devices to save users the trouble of entering their pin codes and passwords every time they unlock them, while still retaining a decent level of security. However, an experiment with Nokia’s latest phone has shown that the method can be rather unreliable.

One of Nokia's latest releases, the Nokia 9 PureView smartphone, was reported by several gadget magazines and media outlets as having serious problems with its fingerprint sensor, which sometimes allowed the device to be unlocked by a finger not belonging to its owner. Social media user Decoded Pixel tested the device further and found that the problem is much worse — you can even unlock the new smartphone with a simple pack of gum.

Video of the fingerprint sensor unlocking phone with a packet of chewing gum and someone else's finger pic.twitter.com/jwY4ZG7uCh

— Decoded Pixel (@decodedpixel) April 21, 2019

Decoded Pixel debunked allegations that the problem could be caused by the protective glass on the screen, as the user attempted to trick the phone both with and without the glass. According to some reports, the source of the problem is rooted in the phone's Android software, with the website Androidpolice stating that the latest update had fixed the bug.

READ MORE: 3D Printed Fingerprint Tricks Samsung's Galaxy S10 Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor

Despite the flaw posing an obvious security problem for owners of the gadget, some social media users took the news with humour, saying that it could be useful for those always forgetting not only their passwords, but also their fingerprints.

@VincentStapler i mean this is good if you ever forget your fingerprint

— Shiruka (@ShirukaX) April 22, 2019