Under-screen smartphone fingerprint sensor stopped working

[Ian]

In a few months time, my Huawei P30 Pro smartphone (I think a few members, like blu-by-u, have or had this phone?) will be 6 years old! Amazingly, the battery still works quite well, and the three cameras (including a, then, unique periscope telephoto, four if you include the ToF laser infra-red distance measuring camera) remain more than good enough for phone use - the main camera sensor is particularly good for low light photography. I've looked after the phone, and it only has a few minor scratches on the screen.

BUT - the in-screen fingerprint sensor has stopped working. It's a known issue with this phone, and the problem with mine was intermittent at first, but it's really bugging me now. After doing some digging around, the problem is that one of the tiny modules that attaches to the sensor itself (it looks like a tiny camera that points up towards the AMOLED display's underside) has become disconnected.

One of the workarounds is to massage the front and back of the phone around the area of the fingerprint sensor, presumably to press the module back into place. That worked for a while, but no longer.

So I'm going to have a go at fixing it myself

Pry tools, tweezers, magnifying glass and hot-air gun to the ready!

I need to get some sealant adhesive first.

It should be fun - I might not even have to remove internal components, as the module just needs to be pressed back into place. I might put some packing in to prevent it from popping out again. If it doesn't work - oh well, it's by far the best and longest lasting phone I have ever had, but all good things come to an end, eventually.

I'll update the thread once I get started.

Ian

[MJ224]

Well, it will keep you busy Ian. Not a lot to lose after 6 years... Look forward to the result....

[linus1884]

The last phone i had was close to 8 years old, i only stopped using it as no andriod updates was still on andriod 6! and i needed somthing newer to handle apps
Ian check out ifixit for their repair guides if you havent already, i've found them invaulable on several occasions.

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Huawei_P30_Pro

Also looking forward to your future repair "plog" (phone blog) 😁

[Ian]

linus1884 Yes, iFixit is very good. There are also some good videos on YouTube.

The P30 Pro was one of the last Huawei phones to include Google Services. Updates started some time ago and so mine is stuck on Android 10.

I've changed screens and batteries in phones before, but the manufacturers have made it increasingly difficult!

Ian

[blu-by-u]

Hahahaha. It took your P30 long enough to have this problem. Nothing to do with software or and firmware update. It's that ribbon cable. Plenty available on Aliexpress. I had mine changed by a friend who owns a phone repair shop at 1/2 the price Huawei service wanted to charge me.

[Ian]

My theory is that no components need to be changed. But let's see.

[blu-by-u]

When it failed the 2nd time, in 2022 (I think) the SC just reset my phone, I lost all my data and it worked for a few months and it started misbehaving. I followed the same reset procedure, nothing happened. I had to live with Face detection till my banking apps failed as the biometric is only on fingerprint. Changed to another for my Bromo trip. Then send that P30 to my friend to see if it's possible to repair. A check, it was only the ribbon cable. No reset was needed. It's been fine since then. I have changed back to using the P30.

[Bruce Clarke]

Good luck Ian! Still got my P30, though only fire it up occasionally as a spare, as I've had the Pixel 7 Pro a couple of years now.

[MK1]

I am using a Samsung Note 20 Ultra (whatever that means) batteries are a known issue with this model, I have been watching you tube tutorials and as it's only £300 worth now I may have a go.
Good luck with yours

[Ian]

I am using a Samsung Note 20 Ultra (whatever that means) batteries are a known issue with this model, I have been watching you tube tutorials and as it's only £300 worth now I may have a go.
Good luck with yours

I've been looking at used S22 Ultras in case I need to replace the P30 Pro. This is the successor to your phone. There's is no way I could justify paying for a brand new premium smartphone these days, sadly.

Ian

[MK1]

I would have a look on Amazon renewed I got mine from there in April this year. Basically I got a brand new American spec Note 20 Ultra for £310 absolute bargain no issue so far at all, everything working well

[moggi1964]

I've had the S22 Ultra since it came out and have no complaints at all. Still runs fast and does what I need it to do. I use it on the handlebar mount of my motorbike as a GPS so it doesn't have the easiest of lives.

[linus1884]

Smart phones are essentially pocket PC convergence devices, much like yourself i could not justify paying premium for top models (£1000) especially since some will only get around 2-3 years of OS updates.

There are however some brands bucking this trend and offering better value, Fairphone has a 5 year warrenty with upto 8 years OS updates and support and easy repairs for swap out parts the cost of ownership over time gives great value!

Much like TV's they have also been getting a lot bigger in size, which i'm not sure is a good thing, at least not for me, as i'm not glued to the screen all day.

[Ian]

Fairphone are doing the right thing! My very old Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was brilliant for this sort of thing - no tools needed to get the back off, the battery was DIY replaceable in seconds. Why phones need to be glued together now is beyond me.

Unfortunately, the spec. and performance of the top Fairphone 5 model isn't that great. But it's a relatively old design and I expect a Model 6 must be on the way soon.

Ian

[Dave in Wales]

Photographs, lots of photographs please.