Fingerprint support may come to Chrome OS

Google’s Chome OS has grown rapidly over the years. In fact, Chromebooks have shown to be one of the most popular devices to be used in U.S. classrooms. One newly discovered line of text within the Chromium repositories mentions fingerprint sensors, hinting that this feature may soon arrive at a Chome OS device near you.

Join us after the break for the details.


Fingerprint sensors are now commonplace in smartphones as they add a powerful layer to security than only using a PIN number or passcode. However, the adoption rate has been much slower for non-smartphone devices, especially laptops. Now this may not be too surprising given that laptop computers don’t travel with the user as often as a smartphone or tablet, but the interest in adding fingerprint support has been growing.

The line of text in the Chromium repositories simply mentions a fingerprint sensor, but does not go into any specific detail and certainly does not confirm the development of such sensors in any future Chromebook. Google is probably experimenting with all sorts of features that may never see the light of day, however the introduction of fingerprint sensors seems like a logical next step for Chromebooks as Google is continuing to integrate more Chrome OS and Android features. An obvious use for this would be unlocking the Chromebook itself, but another use could be for app download authentication and purchases. Android apps from the Google Play Store will soon be available on Chrome OS devices so being able to authenticate with your fingerprint would be a welcome and convenient addition.

We will keep an eye out for any updates and it will be interesting to see if any fingerprint sensor-wielding Chromebooks get released in the near future.