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Why does Apple or Samsung require one to enter their password at least once? Do they not trust their biometric auth? Obviously, one could argue one is safer th
by necovek 2y ago
Why does Apple or Samsung require one to enter their password at least once? Do they not trust their biometric auth?
Obviously, one could argue one is safer than the other, and they both have their pros and cons.
- al_borland 2y agoI think the occasional forced password is a way to make sure people remember their password. It would be very easy to make a password, setup biometric auth, then never use the password again for 3+ years. Then what happens when the password is needed for something? I think being able to quickly disable biometric auth is a feature. If I hold down the volume and side buttons on the iPhone for a few seconds, or just mash the side button a lot, it brings up the shutdown/emergency option, but also disables biometric auth until the passcode is entered again. While I don’t ever plan on having run ins with the police, a hope I don’t have other cause, I like that I have a means to discreetly and quickly disable biometric auth, so someone can’t take my phone, hold it up to my face, and have access to all my stuff… other passwords, bank info, you name it.
- necovek 2y agoSamsung or Windows could easily develop a feature to quickly disable biometric auth, if that is a usecase they cared about. But this ultimately means you don't trust your biometric auth. Remembering a password is only a problem if you don't trust your biometric auth: otherwise, your biometric data is pretty much your password. If you don't trust it, a solution is simple: do not use it (on either Apple or any other device). Apple approach could be somewhat more secure if done properly, but it only covers limited usecases (eg somebody getting your device before you had a chance to disable biometric auth) with increased complexity.