Android fingerprint sensor cancel error if grabbed by another app

Question

I'm using FingerprintManager in my app and usually all works fine. The main issue I have is that customers sometimes complain that the fingerprint operation is sometimes cancelled, what I can see in the logs as error 5 (Fingerprint operation canceled). Now, I know that other apps not developed good can hold the sensor if they do not release it on inPause or similar, so even lockscreen can't use the sensor. Is there a way to get around this issue and force the sensor to start working with my app again?

Thanks

Answer 1

I faced the same issue, there is an issue raised around this with Android.

https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=208512

Here is how I am handling it in my code.

if (errMsgId != FINGERPRINT_ERROR_CANCELED) {
    // As you see below that error code happens when device is locked.
}