Finger Print Scanner: On or Off?

[anon(52425)]

I have zero problems getting it unlocked. Zero. Every 50 tries or so I have to retry but that's it.

I don't believe that for a minute. But who cares. I am some guy on the internet. Carry on.

 

[f308gt4]

I use it all the time with really good success (I'd say over 95% on the first try).

Some tips I've picked up across the various forums:

1) Press relatively hard when scanning.
2) You can scan multiple fingers in each profile. I scanned my Right Thumb, Left Thumb, and Left Index finger on the first profile. I repeated the same for the 2nd profile, but with slightly different angles. My 3rd profile is still empty.

I'm pretty happy with how it works. Not as elegant as the scanner on my daughters iPhone, but it does the job, and is much better than the facial recognition available on earlier models which was really slow.

 

[Cobravision]

2) You can scan multiple fingers in each profile. I scanned my Right Thumb, Left Thumb, and Left Index finger on the first profile. I repeated the same for the 2nd profile, but with slightly different angles. My 3rd profile is still empty.

I'm pretty happy with how it works. Not as elegant as the scanner on my daughters iPhone, but it does the job, and is much better than the facial recognition available on earlier models which was really slow.

Thanks for the tip about multiple fingers on one profile -- I assumed each print in the profile had to match against the other. I'm going to redo them now.

And as a former Face Unlock user, fingerprint scan is a 1000 times better -- much faster and much, much, much more reliable. I shortened my lockscreen timeout from 30 minutes to 10 minutes because it's so much easier to unlock the phone now.

 

[atishc]

Unfortunately my work email does not allow me to use the fingerprint scanner to unlock, but I played with it one night and I also did not have a single failure when testing. When I set the profile I intentionally did it at slightly different angles, pressures and speeds for each repeat, and apparently that worked well. I was not able to do it for one handed unlocking, though.

I don't believe that for a minute. But who cares. I am some guy on the internet. Carry on.

 

[Brandon Barnes1]

I use it with good accuracy. I have both thumbs and my primary hands index finger registered. Majority of the time I get my phone unlocked with 2 attempts.

 

[sirmaru]

I use a PIN number. There have been plenty of articles on the internet as to how easy it is to lift fingerprints from the phone screen and case and then use it to open the phone after it is stolen. That's true for the iPhone and the Galaxy s5.

There are no ways to lift a PIN number.

 

[anon(52425)]

Unfortunately my work email does not allow me to use the fingerprint scanner to unlock, but I played with it one night and I also did not have a single failure when testing. When I set the profile I intentionally did it at slightly different angles, pressures and speeds for each repeat, and apparently that worked well. I was not able to do it for one handed unlocking, though.

It's easy to do it almost all of the time when holding it properly, placing your finger just right and getting in on your first attempt. When reaching into your coat pocket, jeans, etc and grabbing your phone while seamlessly unlocking the phone with your finger... Just does not work all the time. I shouldnt have to pull it out, pause, look, verify I have right placement and then dive in. It just should not be that difficult and with the S5, it is.

 

[Cobravision]

You can see the smudge patterns on the screen to make a good guess at the pin number.

While it might be easy to lift a fingerprint from the screen in lab settings, most people don't leave full, pristine fingerprints on the screen since you use your fingertips and leave only partials. And they're smudged to hell anyway. I think it quite unlikely to pretty much impossible to replicate what that lab did with a real world phone. Besides, what I'm concerned about is having someone get access to a phone that was lost or stolen, not some cloak and dagger operation to hack into my phone.

 

[bembol]

I guess it's my prints. LOL

I gave it another shot, cleared and registered again. It was easier this time around but I still end up entering my password to unlock.

SHIFT_pro s5

 

[lesleyhoenig]

Considering Fingerprint unlock isn't sufficient security to encrypt the phone, there is no point in using it (I did test it out though, and had no problems using it, but I'd rather have an encrypted phone)

 

[tomothy94]

On my first S5 the Scanner worked 100% of the time with fingers, but about 50% with the thumb.. I found myself resetting it a lot. I got a replacement handset today for an entirely different reason, but the scanner on this one seems better. I've just set up my thumba nd its' unlocked first time 15 times. Does it get better at recognising you as you use it?

 

[neiljay6]

Works pretty well. I would say 85% of the time with thumb. Don't understand why some find it so difficult to use.

 

[atishc]

It's easy to do it almost all of the time when holding it properly, placing your finger just right and getting in on your first attempt. When reaching into your coat pocket, jeans, etc and grabbing your phone while seamlessly unlocking the phone with your finger... Just does not work all the time. I shouldnt have to pull it out, pause, look, verify I have right placement and then dive in. It just should not be that difficult and with the S5, it is.

Fair enough. I also wish I were 100 percent accurate with my PIN, but that is just human error on my part.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[debdroid1a]

I use a PIN number. There have been plenty of articles on the internet as to how easy it is to lift fingerprints from the phone screen and case and then use it to open the phone after it is stolen. That's true for the iPhone and the Galaxy s5.

There are no ways to lift a PIN number.

Unless they've hacked your google account, they can get into your phone.
How to Unlock Samsung Galaxy S5 Screen - without Finger Scanner, Forgot Alternative Password - Android Advices

Or like Cobravision said, they can see where you pressed for your PIN.

Of course cleaning/sanitizing the outside might be good to do often. With Swipe the finger prints on the screen are mostly smudges anyway. So they probably couldn't find out your PIN you typed, but then again...

I don't know, I don't think like criminals and don't like to...

I'm not too worried though. Although I do have personal data and sites on there. But so far I haven't lost a phone or had one stolen. I do prefer a lock screen. My last phone had it as an option, but I changed it so it had to be done. Every time.

I've used the fingerprint scanner and it's worked so-so. I use it a lot as the screen time out is quick. I prefer the finger print scanner over the pin, especially since this one has me do a word and numbers (it's faster with just numbers).

 

[S5_GJH]

Tried it for a few hours.. Not a great fan of it.

I use the old skool pattern lock.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[YoSaintLaurent]

I use mine with no issue. But I set it as the way to get into Private Mode, not to unlock it.

 

[CompMan2012]

Hate the scanner. Poor design. Can't use it with one hand and and your finger or thumb needs to be completely straight. .. do you know how hard that is to do on the first try? Another Samsung useless gimmick feature.

Sent from my SM-G900T using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Cobravision]

Love the scanner. I can use it with one hand and swipe my thumb at an angle... which I usually get on the first try. Great feature!

 

[MK Redding]

a tip I read was to scan the same finger in two of the slots. I might try that with my thumb.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AC Forums mobile app

I was getting about 75% accuracy then I put the same finger in the other slots. Each time I adjusted the way my thumb was swiping across the button. Now I get about a 98% accuracy. The max times I swipe is 2

 

[here4kids]

even though the scanner worked fine, I can operate the pattens easier so I switched. not more secure, but better than no lock screen!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AC Forums mobile app