Fingerprint technology has become popular on modern mobile phones in just a few years. Apple started integrating this technology since the iPhone 5s era and some Android devices have also applied it before.
Currently, most smartphones support fingerprint unlocking. This makes it more convenient to use, especially when holding the phone and want to unlock it.
Unlocking with a fingerprint makes it easier to access the phone and perform actions on the screen. It brings efficiency and convenience. However, do you know why you shouldn’t use fingerprints to unlock your phone? Let’s find the answer today.
As we know, smartphones and electronic payments have become indispensable in daily life. Instead of carrying cash, we can make direct payments with mobile phones.
The bank card linked to the mobile phone is an important factor. Usually, we can lock the phone with a password, fingerprint, or face. However, knowledgeable people usually do not use the fingerprint unlock feature. Do you know why?
Why should you not use fingerprints to unlock your phone?
Many people believe that using fingerprints to unlock a phone is very convenient and safe because each person’s fingerprint is unique. However, those who truly understand information security never use this feature. So why is that? Experts warn that unlocking with fingerprints does not guarantee absolute safety. If someone else has a fingerprint similar to yours, they can easily unlock your phone.
There is information that there have been cases where criminals use the victim’s fingerprints to unlock the phone, then use the phone to make payments by swiping the card. Therefore, to protect personal information and assets, you should use a password instead of fingerprints to unlock your phone.
Fingerprint information is stored in a special module on the mobile phone. This module is designed to be accessed only by the owner for security reasons. Unlocking with fingerprints is not as secure as unlocking with a numeric password.
For example, when you are asleep and your phone is placed on the table, someone may want to play a prank by using your fingerprints to unlock your phone. Even if your phone is turned off, if they succeed, you still need to enter your password to turn on the phone. This way, you can avoid unwanted pranks from friends.
Furthermore, if you share your phone with multiple people and they enter their fingerprints, you can still be assured because after the phone restarts, you will need to enter the numeric password to unlock it. Therefore, make sure no one knows your password.
In the case of a stolen phone, and the thief cannot unlock it with your fingerprints, they can use tape to get fingerprints from the phone. However, if the phone is locked with a numeric password, they will have difficulty accessing the information.
The last piece of advice is that if you accidentally lose data on your phone, learn how to recover it through the browser or mobile device-specific applications. Follow specific instructions to recover data.
So that’s why people who understand information security never use fingerprints to unlock their phones. It feels more secure and safe when you use a password.