Ever since Android 7.1 Nougat made its debut with the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, many Android users have been finding it hard to get some of the features available through this new OS on their older devices running Android Marshmallow.
Of course, most people are still stuck on Android Marshmallow even though Android Nougat has been around for months now. This is true because the latter OS is only available for a few devices led by Google-owned Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X. Recent moves have seen LG avail the update for the LG G5 while Samsung and Sony are currently testing beta versions on their newer handsets.
As for those still using Android Marshmallow, you can still get to enjoy the fingerprint gestures feature – a feature that has proved elusive for many, including those using Android 7.0 Nougat on Google Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X. Using a new app courtesy of SuperThomasLab, you can now activate fingerprint gestures on your Android Marshmallow phone.
Unlike previous attempts by XDA Developers forum members, the latest Fingerprint Gestures app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store for free. Once installed, this application will let you make use of the fingerprint scanner actions such as single and double taps or even swipes to carry out different tasks. Like it happens with the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, this Fingerprint Gestures app allows you to open the notifications shade by swiping down the fingerprint sensor. If you want to launch an app, simply tap on the sensor once. Double-tapping the sensor will send your phone into sleep mode.
Keep in mind that these are just the default settings, but you can play around with the app to customize the actions to what you want. The good side of the story is that you don’t need to root your Android Marshmallow device in order to enjoy fingerprint gestures, however, some actions might require a rooted device to work perfectly.
Even though the app works on all Android Marshmallow devices with fingerprint sensors, the developer warns that this will only be possible if Google’s fingerprint API has been implemented.