Samsung Warns Against Using Screen Protectors On Galaxy S10, Note 10 Series

Samsung has issued a warning against using screen protectors for Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Note 10 series devices.

In a statement released to the public, Korean tech giant Samsung is warning Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Note 10 series smartphone users against using third-party screen protectors as these accessories can bypass the in-display fingerprint reader used to secure the devices. The warning comes after reports of the feature being easily bypassed have appeared in different outlets online.

“This issue involved ultrasonic fingerprint sensors unlocking devices after recognizing 3-dimensional patterns appearing on certain silicone screen protecting cases as users’ fingerprints,” Samsung said.

“To prevent any further issues, we advise that Galaxy Note10/10+ and S10/S10+/S10 5G users who use such covers to remove the cover, delete all previous fingerprints and newly register their fingerprints,” the tech giant added.

What happened?

A few days ago, The Sun reported about a U.K. mom who first experienced the security flaw. The woman, Lisa Neilson, bought a £2.70 (about $3-3.5 dollars) screen protector on eBay to keep her new Galaxy S10 smartphone protected from scratches and damage.

Neilson registered her right thumb to work with the Galaxy S10's fingerprint reader. She was, however, surprised to see her phone unlocked when she placed her left thumb on it. Curiously, she tried using other fingers and found that all of them unlocked the device.

She called her husband, Wes, to try and place his thumbs on the fingerprint reader through the screen protector. Both of his fingers unlocked the device as well. Lisa tried to put the same case on her sister's Samsung phone – and was able to unlock it as well.

Lisa and Wes reported their discovery to Samsung. A customer service representative remotely controlled her phone to check for any issues related to the device's settings, but ended up acknowledging her issue as a “security breach.”

The Neilsons weren't the only ones who experienced this problem. A video uploaded by Twitter user StaLight reveals that it also happened to a Note 10 device in Korea.

Samsung immediately looked into the matter and found that the in-display fingerprint reader can be fooled by fingerprints left on the screen protectors. The tech giant then announced that users who own a Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Note 10 device to remove such covers and wait for a software update to be released next week.