Monday, September 23, 2013

iPhones and Finger Prints

What all of these excitable "we can copy fingerprints!", "fingerprints make horrible security!" posts miss is the really awesome thing about fingerprints versus a security code on your phone: Your 9 year old will try really, really hard to see what your code is (as will your 8 year old, your 7 year old, your 6 year old, your 10 year old, and so forth), but kids cannot copy your fingerprint and make a usable replica to get into your phone--unless you have trained your kid to be that amazing, and then not only do you have other things to focus on besides your kid making fake fingers but your kid probably has his or her own device and doesn't want yours.

Edit: And, c/o Daring Fireball, about 50% of people don't even have passcode security enabled on their phones.