Face unlock will change your everyday relationship with your phone

[PaulQ]

I have now spent 24 hours with my 4XL. Wow. This is going to take some getting used to. Face unlock changed the way I interact with my phone and I am going to need a couple more days to develop some brand new behaviors.

After day one, I have two observations...

• It's easy to unlock it when you don't really mean or want to. There are many times when I grab my phone and just carry it in my hand or put my wallet on top and carry them both. Several times today, I did this and the phone caught a glimpse of my face, unlocked so I was hitting buttons or risking it. Had to hit the power button and keep it away from my face. Definitely an issue when taking the phone out of a car mount.

• I ended up looking at the clock screen and the phone not waking up to read my face several times today. I shook it. Twisted. Tried to figure it out. At first, I was using the power button to wake it up but I discovered I can also tap the screen twice and it will fire up the cameras to see my face. Still working on this one.

I'm sure it will work out. I just haven't had to make such basic adjustments to how I hold, lift, tap, etc. my phone in a long time. Looking forward to getting good at it!

For clarification - I did NOT have situations where my phone unlocked in a way that would compromise security. It was always in my hand or I was right on it.

 

[qnet]

Thanks for the info. Do you have it set to unlock straight to the home screen? I think it's set up that way by default, but I plan on setting it up so I will have to swipe up like my Iphone.

 

[PaulQ]

Thanks for the info. Do you have it set to unlock straight to the home screen? I think it's set up that way by default, but I plan on setting it up so I will have to swipe up like my Iphone.

Default - straight to the home screen - because it's so great! Actually, it's straight to the last screen you were using in most cases (e.g., if I leave a text message open, it will unlock back to it).

Thanks for the reminder about the swipe option though. May need it.

 

[Almeuit]

The issue with unlocking in your hand will be fixed by the attention thing they will eventually add.

 

[dsignori]

..

For clarification - I did NOT have situations where my phone unlocked in a way that would compromise security. It was always in my hand or I was right on it.

I'm not sure that experience has been universal: https://twitter.com/mdrndad/status/1186266690285461505

 

[duratime]

I like it so far, my only complaint is that none of my apps will allow me to use it if they are secure apps (like banking). I'm concerned that it will be a long time for them to update them since Google won't sell that many of these phones (in comparison to Apple and Samsung) and the developer probably won't be that motivated.

 

[Almeuit]

I like it so far, my only complaint is that none of my apps will allow me to use it if they are secure apps (like banking). I'm concerned that it will be a long time for them to update them since Google won't sell that many of these phones (in comparison to Apple and Samsung) and the developer probably won't be that motivated.

I don't see that being an issue.

 

[duratime]

I don't see that being an issue.

I hope you are correct!

 

[klau25]

I don't see that being an issue.

Yeah, I am not so sure about that. I still have apps that doesn't have fingerprint login, but the same app on Iphone does. For example, Fidelity finally got fingerprint login this year, and Vanguard still doesn't while IPhone app does. These are big financial institution app too, not some tiny banks. Unfortunately, developer still see Android as second class citizen and really take their time to update their Android apps. I too am concern this will take a long time for each bank to update their apps.

 

[Almeuit]

Yeah, I am not so sure about that. I still have apps that doesn't have fingerprint login, but the same app on Iphone does. For example, Fidelity finally got fingerprint login this year, and Vanguard still doesn't while IPhone app does. These are big financial institution app too, not some tiny banks. Unfortunately, developer still see Android as second class citizen and really take their time to update their Android apps. I too am concern this will take a long time for each bank to update their apps.

Ah see he said apps. As in a majority. He did mention banking but was talking most so I apologise as I was going after the majority. I still stand by I don't see that being an issue.

If you want to narrow it to financial institutions then I agree but that's because they've always sucked at security. Hell most of them still only offer 2FA via SMS... They're pitiful. So if anyone would fall behind it would be them.

But ... There is an easy fix for those failures... A password manager. That way when you open said financial app your password manager will pop up, authenticate your face, and toss your password in for you .

 

[jamezr]

I have now spent 24 hours with my 4XL. Wow. This is going to take some getting used to. Face unlock changed the way I interact with my phone and I am going to need a couple more days to develop some brand new behaviors.

After day one, I have two observations...

• It's easy to unlock it when you don't really mean or want to. There are many times when I grab my phone and just carry it in my hand or put my wallet on top and carry them both. Several times today, I did this and the phone caught a glimpse of my face, unlocked so I was hitting buttons or risking it. Had to hit the power button and keep it away from my face. Definitely an issue when taking the phone out of a car mount.

• I ended up looking at the clock screen and the phone not waking up to read my face several times today. I shook it. Twisted. Tried to figure it out. At first, I was using the power button to wake it up but I discovered I can also tap the screen twice and it will fire up the cameras to see my face. Still working on this one.

I'm sure it will work out. I just haven't had to make such basic adjustments to how I hold, lift, tap, etc. my phone in a long time. Looking forward to getting good at it!

For clarification - I did NOT have situations where my phone unlocked in a way that would compromise security. It was always in my hand or I was right on it.

Loving Face Unlock! So easy to use and it goes straight to my home screen.

IMHO this is so much better than FaceID on my iPhone 11 pro max.
It saves the extra step of having to swipe up to use my phone.

 

[klau25]

Ah see he said apps. As in a majority. He did mention banking but was talking most so I apologise as I was going after the majority. I still stand by I don't see that being an issue.

If you want to narrow it to financial institutions then I agree but that's because they've always sucked at security. Hell most of them still only offer 2FA via SMS... They're pitiful. So if anyone would fall behind it would be them.

But ... There is an easy fix for those failures... A password manager. That way when you open said financial app your password manager will pop up, authenticate your face, and toss your password in for you .

True, I do use last pass, but seems like they don't always pop up for certain apps. Could be user error.

Yeah, a lot of banks' 2FA sucks, they do still use SMS. I work for a bank and I won't say which one. The sad part is, we still don't use 2FA and depends on good old security questions to authenticate someone. So far, only 2 financial companies that I have account with use actual authentication app. This is truly sad.

 

[PaulQ]

I'm not sure that experience has been universal: https://twitter.com/mdrndad/status/1186266690285461505

Actually, what Phil is describing fits into what I said. That would be what I meant by "right on it." It's right in front of him, less than two feet away. Or - at least that's what I read into it. It's on the elliptical in front of him. This is more of a battery drain issue than a security one.

My phone has not unlocked when I just pass by it on a table (e.g. when I'm teaching) or when it's more than two feet away. In fact, it has yet to unlock when I am standing in front of it unless I reach into the radar zone and/or pick it up.

That aside - he brings up a problem with the phone staying on in that situation and draining the battery. I'm not sure. I believe it happened but, at the same time, I have been in scenarios that seem similar and it hasn't unlocked. I don't have enough experience yet.