We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus. | Image by PhoneArena
The Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup comes with One UI 8.5 out of the box. In addition to bringing a lot of new upgrades, like the new partial screen recording feature, AI-powered Photo Assist, and more, the update also resolves some known issues. It also introduces a new "Improve accuracy" option in the fingerprint section to address the biggest problem Samsung phones have had with their fingerprint unlock mechanism.
Galaxy S26 Ultra: save up to $720 now
$579
99
$1299
99
$720 off (55%)
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, bringing a Privacy Screen feature, insanely fast processor, and multiple Galaxy AI enhancements. Right now, you can save up to $720 at the Samsung Store with eligible trade-ins. You also get 15% off the Buds 4 series with your purchase. Alternatively, you can get $150 credit for add-ons, no trade-in required.
Most of the latest Samsung Galaxy phones come with the fingerprint unlock system. To configure it, you need to open the Settings app and then head toward the fingerprint section to register your fingerprint. The set fingerprint will usually work and allow you to unlock your phone. However, there may be times when it becomes unreliable.
Perhaps when you get a small cut or scratch on the configured finger, or when you replace the screen protector. In such situations, you have to delete the fingerprint and register it again. That was your only option until now. But with the One UI 8.5 update, Samsung has reportedly added a new "Improve accuracy" option.
Recommended For You
As the name suggests, it will allow you to improve the accuracy of the existing fingerprint. For instance, if you install a new screen protector and find that the fingerprint unlock mechanism is now not as fast or accurate as it was before, you can use the new option to improve the accuracy of your already registered fingerprint instead of having to configure it all over again from scratch.
You reportedly need to scan a registered finger 10 times to improve its accuracy. Once it's done, you will likely notice that the fingerprint unlock mechanism has become as fast and accurate as it was before installing the new screen guard.
A really useful upgrade
New Improve accuracy option in Fingerprint settings window. | Image by Redditor joel-d2709
From what I can think of, it will mainly be helpful in situations when you have your fingerprint configured to access a banking or password manager app. As it turns out, apps like this that keep track of your important credentials use the Android Keystore API to connect their biometric login method to the configured fingerprint lock of your smartphone.
As a result, you might not be able to access these apps if you delete a registered fingerprint and then set it up again from scratch. You'll be asked to reconfigure biometric login on these banking or password manager apps. But with the new feature, you can simply improve a fingerprint's accuracy if it has become unresponsive for any reason.
Who is getting this upgrade?
The Redditor who posted about this feature spotted it on their Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is running One UI 8.5. Since it is a software-based upgrade, it is expected to be available to all devices that are eligible for the One UI 8.5 update.
However, at the time of writing, it appears to be exclusive to the S26 lineup. That's because many users have commented that they can't find it on their Galaxy S25 series phones, even those running the required One UI update. This likely indicates that all eligible devices will receive it in a later beta build or the stable release.
Which biometric unlock method do you find most reliable?
Other smartphones need something similar as well
The new "Improve accuracy" feature looks very useful, and I really wish other smartphone brands would introduce something similar. I use the Pixel 10 as my daily driver, and I recently installed a new screen protector on it. As expected, the existing fingerprints started acting up because of it. Sometimes, my phone took a couple of seconds to recognize the fingerprint. Other times, it failed to recognize it at all.
As a result, I had to delete all the existing fingerprints and configure them all over again from scratch. I wouldn't have had to go through the registration process again if a feature similar to improve accuracy had been available on Pixel.
Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: