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But what if you don't want to inadvertently activate your computer? Perhaps you don't want your monitor to display sensitive information by accident. I could se

But what if you don't want to inadvertently activate your computer? Perhaps you don't want your monitor to display sensitive information by accident. I could see facial recognition being very inconvenient on an appliance that will be oriented towards your face all of the time.

Jtsummers 5y ago
Create an optional "click here or use some gesture to actually remove the lock screen" feature. On iOS, the device unlocks with FaceID but does not open until you swipe. Then the only issue would be if someone else had the device and pointed it at you to unlock it and then opened it up. Same issue with TouchID, though, as both are single factor authentication techniques (what you are). Though on iOS (and iPadOS and macOS) Face/TouchID both require you to enter a PIN/password/passphrase before unlocking depending on the system state (fresh from a reboot, too long, other conditions).
mthoms 5y ago
Then... turn it off? I'm not sure if this is typical of Windows laptops but my girlfriends' HP has both types of sensors.
quitit 5y ago
This is a key factor: bringing the phone to your face is the confirmatory action that validates that you intend to use the device. Its narrow field of view means the authentication only works in deliberate scenarios. Meanwhile the laptop is usually just sitting there, so switching to faceid will require some confirmatory action by the user, that’s adding a step which isn’t currently there. Other scenarios come to mind: say someone else is using your computer and faceid is doing its thing. Or what about the creep factor: plenty of people put privacy covers on their laptop’s camera but not their phone. I’m sure this type of person might be a bit put off by the idea of not being able to cover it. I think a lot of the curiosity about faceid’s absence on laptops would disappear if people tested it for themselves.
- mthoms 5y ago
  >I think a lot of the curiosity about faceid’s absence on laptops would disappear if people tested it for themselves. This is already a thing in many Windows laptops. I've not heard anything terribly negative about it - either online or in the real world.
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  Plenty of people use the equivalent of FaceID on their laptops, they're just Windows users. But, FaceID would not have to preclude TouchID as an alternative method or be mandatory (it's not on iPadOS or iOS). It's an option when you setup the device, you enable it or you don't. And you can change your mind later and toggle its state in the system settings.
  - quitit 5y ago
    Isn’t “Faceid” on windows/android just facial recognition with the camera?
    - Jtsummers 5y ago
      I mean, yes. But from a user perspective it's the same, that's why I also didn't call it FaceID though, only an equivalent. You said: > I think a lot of the curiosity about faceid’s absence on laptops would disappear if people tested it for themselves. My point was, if it were a widespread concern, then the Windows users are an example of a substantial population making use of facial recognition to unlock their computers already. You were saying that if people tried it they'd (implied) reject it, but people have tried it, and they have not rejected it.
bluepoint 5y ago
This is entirely true, however this can probably be configured in settings. For example you could configure that faceid is only activated on any key stroke such that the screen does not unlock unintentionally.

Jtsummers 5y ago

Create an optional "click here or use some gesture to actually remove the lock screen" feature. On iOS, the device unlocks with FaceID but does not open until you swipe. Then the only issue would be if someone else had the device and pointed it at you to unlock it and then opened it up. Same issue with TouchID, though, as both are single factor authentication techniques (what you are). Though on iOS (and iPadOS and macOS) Face/TouchID both require you to enter a PIN/password/passphrase before unlocking depending on the system state (fresh from a reboot, too long, other conditions).

mthoms 5y ago

Then... turn it off? I'm not sure if this is typical of Windows laptops but my girlfriends' HP has both types of sensors.

quitit 5y ago

This is a key factor: bringing the phone to your face is the confirmatory action that validates that you intend to use the device. Its narrow field of view means the authentication only works in deliberate scenarios. Meanwhile the laptop is usually just sitting there, so switching to faceid will require some confirmatory action by the user, that’s adding a step which isn’t currently there. Other scenarios come to mind: say someone else is using your computer and faceid is doing its thing. Or what about the creep factor: plenty of people put privacy covers on their laptop’s camera but not their phone. I’m sure this type of person might be a bit put off by the idea of not being able to cover it. I think a lot of the curiosity about faceid’s absence on laptops would disappear if people tested it for themselves.

mthoms 5y ago
>I think a lot of the curiosity about faceid’s absence on laptops would disappear if people tested it for themselves. This is already a thing in many Windows laptops. I've not heard anything terribly negative about it - either online or in the real world.
Jtsummers 5y ago
Plenty of people use the equivalent of FaceID on their laptops, they're just Windows users. But, FaceID would not have to preclude TouchID as an alternative method or be mandatory (it's not on iPadOS or iOS). It's an option when you setup the device, you enable it or you don't. And you can change your mind later and toggle its state in the system settings.
- quitit 5y ago
  Isn’t “Faceid” on windows/android just facial recognition with the camera?
  - Jtsummers 5y ago
    I mean, yes. But from a user perspective it's the same, that's why I also didn't call it FaceID though, only an equivalent. You said: > I think a lot of the curiosity about faceid’s absence on laptops would disappear if people tested it for themselves. My point was, if it were a widespread concern, then the Windows users are an example of a substantial population making use of facial recognition to unlock their computers already. You were saying that if people tried it they'd (implied) reject it, but people have tried it, and they have not rejected it.

bluepoint 5y ago

This is entirely true, however this can probably be configured in settings. For example you could configure that faceid is only activated on any key stroke such that the screen does not unlock unintentionally.