A thief flags you down, grabs your phone and makes you unlock it using your thumb.
A cop opens the cop car door, grabs your hand and unlocks your phone, or even easier, face unlock.
Granted, guns and torture are rather effective as well, but is anyone entirely against fingerprint unlocking?
If I were a breaking bad meth dealer and had all my buyers as contacts on that phone and all my incriminating chats, I wouldn’t use biometrics to unlock it. But I’m not a meth dealer (and I’m not just saying that because that’s what a meth dealer would say).
There is a spectrum of convenience vs. security. It depends on where you sit. I’m okay with the fingerprint, wouldn’t go for the face.
Doesn’t Android have the panic/cop switch where you force password over biometrics unlocking? It’s not a 100% failsafe but it is a start.
(and I’m not just saying that because that’s what a meth dealer would say)
Hmm sound like something a meth dealer would say
And yeah android does have a lockdown button, if you press and hold the power button, its in the options.
Alternatively you can quickly spam the wrong finger over the sensor a few times until it requires the pass code, which will work for iOS too.
Edit: after a quick test the “wrong finger” method has a a fatal flaw. After using the wrong finger a few times, the pass code UI appears. If you back out of it you can still use finger unlock. You have to get to the code UI and back out 2-3 times before it says too many failed attempts and forces you to use the pin.
Hmm sound like something a meth dealer would say
I assure you. I’m not a meth dealer. Really. I don’t know what else to tell you!
Thanks for answering my question.
And yeah android does have a lockdown button, if you press and hold the power button, its in the options.
For those of us, that opens G-Assistant by just pressing the power button:
Power + Vol up
It may vary between models. Mine if you spam the wrong finger it just counts down 30 seconds before you can try again. But restarting does force a pass entry before fingerprint will work again. I guess the caveat is you have to be able to hold down the power and then select a restart.
I don’t want to test this right now, but some of my previous devices would just reboot after keeping the power button pressed for approx. 10-30 sec, overruling the need to use the on-screen shutdown menu - probably to be able to escape a frozen/broken system without waiting for the unremovable battery to run out. That could very well still be the case for some current devices out there.
it is an oxymoron. Biometrics are the equivalent of a username, not a password.
I like this perspective. Wish there were more implementations of a biometric + password combo.
If I can’t change it once it gets breached (because it will get breached), then it’s not security, it’s a hurdle at best. Biometrics entry isn’t security; it’s convenience.
Graphene allows for fingerprint and second factor pin unlock, which is what I use. I mostly do that for cops, though, since in the US you can be legally compelled to unlock your phone with biometrics but not pin.
Wouldn’t stop someone from torturing you to unlock your device, but that’s what a duress pin is for ;) (they may kill you once your phone wipes but at least they wouldn’t have your data)
Do NOT use biometric unlock in the U.S.
Law enforcement can force you to open the phone vs. requiring a warrant for PIN/Password.
Same with face unlock, not requiring a warrant, if I’m remembering correctly
