Which Android version introduced the fingerprint API?

Android 6.0 Marshmallow introduced the fingerprint API.

Released in 2015, Marshmallow added Android’s standardized fingerprint-authentication framework for compatible devices. Its central component was FingerprintManager, which allowed apps to request fingerprint verification without each manufacturer requiring a completely different implementation.

The API was designed to work with the Android Keystore system, helping apps protect cryptographic keys and use a successful fingerprint scan as part of a secure authentication flow. Apps also needed the USE_FINGERPRINT permission and a device with supported fingerprint hardware.

Fingerprint sensors existed on some Android phones before Marshmallow, so the release did not invent fingerprint hardware itself. The important change was platform-level support: Android 6.0 gave developers a consistent API and security model. Android 9 later introduced the broader BiometricPrompt framework, which could handle multiple biometric methods, but it did not replace Marshmallow’s role as the first standard fingerprint API release.