Windows 10 Mobile to Get Fingerprint Reader Support This Year

Microsoft is expected to release its Windows 10 Anniversary update for desktop and mobile sometime in July. With this update, Microsoft will finally bring support for fingerprint readers to Windows 10 Mobile-based smartphones.

A feature called Windows Hello was introduced with Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10, using facial recognition to unlock devices. However, the fingerprint sensor that is now an extremely popular feature amongst Android and iPhone users, was a big missing feature in Windows smartphones.

However, Microsoft has announced at its WinHEC conference that it is finally bringing support for fingerprint readers in the next Windows 10 Mobile update in July. the scanner will have to be integrated with Microsoft's Windows Hello functionality, in order to work. The first smartphone to run on the new update will be HP's Elite x3.

Apart from fingerprint support, the Windows 10 Anniversary update will bring a host of new features on desktops and mobile along with bug fixes. It is expected to remove Wi-Fi Sense's controversial password sharing feature with the new update. It will also add the ability to download extensions on its Edge browser, and bring real-time Web notifications. These features are available for testing in preview, and AdBlock and Adblock Plus have already released extension support for the new and improved Microsoft Edge browser.

It is also pegged to bring Windows Ink, a new platform developed for Windows 10 apps that support a pen or stylus. It will let users write with digital ink on apps like Microsoft Office, Bing Maps, Edge and even Sticky Notes among others.

Furthermore, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update will bring deeper Cortana integration, and the visuals for User Account Control dialogue will also get updated. All these features are available for testing in the latest preview release, and users with compatible devices can become a part of the Insider program to experience the latest version.