S20 ultra question - unlocking on its own?

[CharlieHowes]

Hi I was wondering if someone could help me with an issue I'm constantly having with my Ultra? 

Samsung user now for many years, new Galaxy almost yearly, most recent being S7 Edge, S9+ and S10+. I can safely say I've never had the issue that I'm having numerous times a day with any of the previous years handsets.

My phone is unlocked with either facial recognition, finger print or pass code. Screen can be off & phone put in my pocket, for sometimes literally seconds, yet 90% of the time when I take it back out my screen is on with either numbers over the screen or my own contact details. The other day it somehow managed to open a WhatsApp message I'd received whilst locked in my pocket.

It's not set to wake up screen when I get a notification. Sensitivity isn't turned on. I've even removed shortcuts on lock screen for dialer and camera. It's really starting to irritate me now. 

Is anyone else having any similar issues, if so did you manage to to fix it? Any help would be appreciated. 

[DanP]

Afternoon CharlieHowes,

The first two things I would check would be Smart Unlock & Accidental touch protection:

If you navigate to Settings > Display > Toggle Accidental Touch Protection On - This will protect your phone from accidental touches when it's in a dark place, such as a pocket or bag.

Secondly Smart Lock can be found by heading to Settings > Lock screen > Smart Lock - This will keep your phone unlocked when it's in a trusted location or detects a trusted device nearby.

Once you have entered your PIN there will be three options presented:

On-body detection - The device will stay unlocked when it's with you

Trusted places - You're able to add a location where the device should be unlocked

Trusted devices - <Added device> unlocks your device when it is nearby

Hope this helps answer your question.

[CharlieHowes]

Hi mate, thank you for the reply. 

I have a feeling that I might have switched off accidental touch protection so hopefully it's just that. It kept popping up on my screen whilst trying to unlock my phone so I disabled it.

I've done my daily exercise so I'll see if it makes any difference during tomorrow's outing. 

I didn't have smart lock on so I know it wasn't that.

Hopefully this will do the trick.

Thanks again for the help mate. 

[DanP]

Not a problem, enjoy your exercise and stay safe.

[JJCme]

Did you find a solution to this? 

I have the S20 and it has unlocked without my fingerprint. A few times, my neice was holding the phone. I also got it unlocked by accident, but no idea how it happened. 

I do not have the setting switched on to unlock on my body, or known spots etc.

Today, I swear my palm print covered the fingerprint sensor and thats how it unlocked. But if I try it again, it doesn't work. 

[JJCme]

Update - can confirm it unlocks with my palm! What's more concerning is that my neice was able to... 

[Carpi18]

Brand new S20.

I have had the same problem with some quite serious issues such as the phone unlocking in the pocket, bypassing the Fingerprint and Pin security features.  It then opened Galaxy Themes, purchasing a theme and opening Samsung Pay to complete.  It has also at various times taken screenshots of documents changing the page in correct order each screenshot, copied calendar appointments and sms'd them (luckily to a land line), opened numerous web pages (always spam financial pages), opened maps and plotted and started a route, cancelled a walk I was doing, sent two WhatsApp messages to groups, called a friend, set Airplane mode.  Also numerous other  smart and not possible to be accidental actions.

To fix it I tried all the suggestions above to do with gestures, accidental touch, safe zones for wifi etc. Non worked.  I uninstalled Samsung Pay and Samsung Internet as a precaution. I still have most of the Samsung features disabled as per this and other threads.

The following seems to work so far!.

Swipe down from the top to open the notification panel
Click on the Gear icon to open the Samsung settings menu
Scroll down and click to “Advanced features"
Search and click on “Side key" which is the first option.

Look for the “Double press” section.

Click on "Quick Launch Camera"
Look for the “Press and hold” section
Click on “Power off menu”

This stops Bixby from having operation via the the power button and coming alive.  Time will tell if it is a permanent fix for me

Good luck

[sonypsp0009]

Did you ever find any resolution to this? My girlfriend's s20 plus is having the same issue. just repeatedly tapping on the finger print sensor area unlocks the phone. with a palm, with my fingers, anything. This is a massive security issue and i"m surprised i haven't heard any more about it from Reddit or anything 

[CobusA]

I have checked the settings according to your write-up, but they were and are 100% OK as described.  I will check in after a few weeks with an update.

[CobusA]

I have changed my settings according to your write-up now.  I will check how it behaves now and  I will check in after a few weeks with an update.