A method of sensing a fingerprint pattern of a finger using a fingerprint sensing device comprising: an array of sensing elements for sensing said fingerprint pattern, each sensing element comprising a sensing structure for capacitive coupling with the finger; an electrically conductive finger detecting structure arranged adjacent to said array of sensing elements; and finger detecting circuitry connected to said finger detecting structure for providing a finger detection signal (Sd) indicative of a capacitive coupling between a group of sensing structures and the finger detecting structure, wherein said method comprises the steps of: - controlling the group of sensing elements to change a potential of the group of sensing structures comprised in said group of sensing elements; - acquiring, in response to said variation in potential, a response signal from the finger detecting circuitry indicative of the capacitive coupling between the group of sensing structures and the finger detecting structure; - comparing a variation in the response signal with a predefined threshold value; - providing a signal indicating that a finger is present when the variation in response signal is greater than the threshold value, and - activating, when the variation in response signal is greater than the threshold value, at least a subset of said sensing elements to sense at least a portion of said fingerprint pattern. an array of sensing elements for sensing said fingerprint pattern, each sensing element comprising a sensing structure for capacitive coupling with the finger; an electrically conductive finger detecting structure arranged adjacent to said array of sensing elements; and finger detecting circuitry connected to said finger detecting structure for providing a finger detection signal (Sd) indicative of a capacitive coupling between a group of sensing structures and the finger detecting structure, wherein said method comprises the steps of: - controlling the group of sensing elements to change a potential of the group of sensing structures comprised in said group of sensing elements; - acquiring, in response to said variation in potential, a response signal from the finger detecting circuitry indicative of the capacitive coupling between the group of sensing structures and the finger detecting structure; - comparing a variation in the response signal with a predefined threshold value; - providing a signal indicating that a finger is present when the variation in response signal is greater than the threshold value, and - activating, when the variation in response signal is greater than the threshold value, at least a subset of said sensing elements to sense at least a portion of said fingerprint pattern. - controlling the group of sensing elements to change a potential of the group of sensing structures comprised in said group of sensing elements; - acquiring, in response to said variation in potential, a response signal from the finger detecting circuitry indicative of the capacitive coupling between the group of sensing structures and the finger detecting structure; - comparing a variation in the response signal with a predefined threshold value; - providing a signal indicating that a finger is present when the variation in response signal is greater than the threshold value, and - activating, when the variation in response signal is greater than the threshold value, at least a subset of said sensing elements to sense at least a portion of said fingerprint pattern.