Most Samsung phones released today come with an in-display fingerprint scanner as a means to unlock them. While the cheaper ones get the optical scanner, the flagships get the more premium ultrasonic scanner. But what remains common among the two is that both require you to first open your Lock screen to be able to scan your finger.

However, unknown to many, there's a slightly faster way you can unlock your Samsung phone via fingerprint without having to open the Lock screen first. Let's take a look at how you can do that on your Galaxy phone.

How to Use the Fingerprint Scanner Without Turning On the Lock Screen

You can set your phone to keep the fingerprint scanner running even when the screen is off. To do this, follow these instructions:

  1. Go to Settings > Biometrics and security > Fingerprints.
  2. Enter your Lock screen password and toggle on Fingerprint always on.

Granted, it takes only a second to get to your Lock screen and unlock your device from there. But by having the fingerprint scanner running all the time, you can get straight to the home screen even when the screen is off, making your phone more user-friendly and intuitive.

If you need some visual feedback, you can toggle on Show animation when unlocking. This will make it easier to place your finger correctly on the scanner if you have trouble doing so. With time and practice, you can unlock your phone by the time you take it out of your pocket—making it a faster alternative to face unlock.

And if you use Always On Display, you can also set the fingerprint icon to show on your AOD screen by tapping Show icon when screen is off and selecting On Always On Display.

Unlock Your Samsung Phone Faster

There aren't many Android brands out there that offer as many features as Samsung does. You're not making the most use out of your Galaxy device if you keep using it in default settings.

Instead, try exploring its settings to find new and interesting features you might not have seen before.