The location of the fingerprint sensor on Samsung's 2017 flagships is far from ideal. While some folks have found it easy to adapt to the awkwardly placed fingerprint sensor, some of us haven't and are probably using iris or facial recognition (or the traditional pin or pattern) to keep their device secure. But no matter which camp you fall in, we thought we would remind you the fingerprint sensor isn't just useful for security, but can also be used for quick access to notifications and, when on the home screen, Samsung Pay as well.
Fingerprint gestures were introduced on the Galaxy S8 and S8+, and they are also available on the Galaxy Note 8. When enabled, the gestures allow you to swipe down from anywhere on the device to bring down the notification shade (and close it with a swipe up). On the home screen, you can swipe up on the fingerprint sensor to access Samsung Pay. This particular gesture isn't as useful, though, as it's easier to just swipe up from the bottom of the home screen to open Samsung Pay.
Of course, those who aren't fond of even attempting to reach the fingerprint sensor will probably find both gestures useless, but at least the sensor can be used for more than just keeping your phone locked or authenticating payments.
Here's how you can enable the gestures
To enable these fingerprint gestures, go to the phone's settings, select Advanced features, followed by Finger sensor gestures. Here, turn the feature on by using the toggle at the top right of the screen (for a step-by-step guide on how to do this, go here). You can also enable the Samsung Pay gesture here should you need it. If you see the Samsung Pay gesture option greyed out, it's because you've disabled Samsung Pay's shortcut on the home screen. You can enable that shortcut from the Samsung Pay app's settings, under the Use Favorite Cards option, and then turn on the gesture as described above.
Do you use the fingerprint sensor for accessing the notification shade or Samsung Pay? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to check out our collection of Galaxy Note 8 tips for more on how to make the most of your phone.
