Banking / UPI apps in Private Space — fingerprint and PIN not working

Problem

When a banking or UPI app (PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, bank apps) is installed inside Private Space, the app opens to its own lock screen and keeps asking for a fingerprint or PIN that it never accepts. The phone itself unlocks normally, and the same app works when installed in the main space.

Applies to: Huawei devices running EMUI / HarmonyOS with Private Space (e.g. Pura 90 Series, Pura 80 Series, Mate X series, nova series).

Cause

• Private Space runs as a separate user profile, so the fingerprint binding used by app-level locks does not line up with that profile — the biometric prompt appears but is never accepted.
• Apps inside Private Space do not have the GBox / microG environment they depend on.

Result: a lock screen that asks for biometrics but never lets the customer in.

Solution

1. Confirm the app is inside Private Space: Settings > Privacy > Private Space, then check the app list.
2. While inside Private Space, uninstall the banking app. This does not affect the app or data in the main space.
3. In the main space, make sure GBox and microG are installed and updated from AppGallery.
4. Install the app again in the main space — from AppGallery, or from Play Store through GBox.
5. Sign in and test the fingerprint and the PIN.

Advice

Keep banking and UPI apps in the main space. Private Space is suitable for photos, notes and secondary accounts, but it is not reliable for apps that depend on biometrics or Google services.

If the customer wants to keep Private Space for privacy, move only non-critical apps into it and leave banking, UPI and payment apps in the main space.