 I need to know if I'm in the minority. Do you use Face ID (or Android equivalent if there is one) to unlock any devices? I'd love it if you boosted this so we get lots of responses. Anonymous poll
Poll
Yes
1,265
0%
No
0 people voted. 2,050
0%
Voting ended 17 February at 20:04. 147 comments
@mlanger @DWTSquawk7600 I use Apple Face ID. I also pay for stuff (almost) exclusively with my Apple Watch. I’m still surprised at how often I tap my watch to pay and cashiers are amazed like I’m some sort of wizard of the dark arts.  @aerosavvy @mlanger @DWTSquawk7600 I used to do that with my watch then Google said I'm not allowed to with root. Got the same looks. I like to tap with my phone. I especially like it when I tap at a place right after they tell me that tap doesn't work and it does work. They're always surprised. @mlanger @aerosavvy @DWTSquawk7600 I’ve used Apple Pay at a bunch of places where they didn’t know they accepted it. Doctors’ offices always say they don’t take Apple Pay, and then I proceed to pay them with it. @captainslim @aerosavvy @DWTSquawk7600 You get double dollars when you use ApplePay. I use it every chance I can. @mlanger @aerosavvy @DWTSquawk7600 That’s the case if you use the Apple Card. With any other card you get whatever that card gives you. @mlanger @aerosavvy @DWTSquawk7600 I miss my old Samsung note that had MST. It would work with Samsung pay at terminals that didn't support tap to pay with anything. @aerosavvy It is very convenient. I'm not giving my image away, thus I use a 45 y/o image that's been turned into a sketch for my avatar. My dad uses it on his phone and it's a real pain in the ass if I have to fix something on his phone for him. I won't use it. I don't think that data is necessary anywhere. @mlanger @canadianglen I'll only buy the iPhone SE, since it still supports touchID. I like the convenience, but FaceID feels icky and less secure. @UrbanEdm @mlanger @canadianglen there’s a fun security story behind Face ID, initially Apple pushed for it because while the US government could compel you to give a finger print, it could not do the same for Face ID. This is no longer true and the only secure lock is either hardware or pin, but it was an interesting historical / tech development @ramiro @mlanger @canadianglen It's odd to me that "they can force you to put your finger there, but aren't allowed to point your phone camera at you" was a real legal position at any point. @ramiro @canadianglen @UrbanEdm @mlanger the more clear statement seems would be “they could collect your finger prints to make silicon finger tips” @ldbeth @canadianglen @UrbanEdm @mlanger that’s not exactly true as far as my understanding goes ( again, in the US ) police and federal representatives can require that you use your finger print or Face ID - this is not through a silicon reproduction ( though I believe they have the ability to produce these ) They cannot however at this point force you to reproduce a pattern lock or pin  @mlanger Marginally relevant: I worked with a pair of twins who could unlock each others' phones using Face ID. They occasionally used it to play good-natured pranks on each other. @mlanger No, and I don't know anyone who does. I wouldn't say I know a lot of privacy-obsessed people or anything, I just haven't seen anyone adopting that method. @mlanger @holyramenempire @aerosavvy By the way, if you’re really concerned that the police might force you to show your face to unlock your phone, you can disable FaceID quickly. Just squeeze the side button and either the up or down volume button together for a couple of seconds, and after the shutdown/emergency menu shows up, FaceID will have been disabled until you re-enter your passcode. @captainslim @mlanger @holyramenempire @aerosavvy I use Face ID for as many devices as i possibly can, as well as to unlock other things within my device (eg Apple Pay, logging into apps). The devices include my personal iPhone, my work Samsung Flip 4, my work computer, and my personal iPad. ;). For me the security and convenience are enough to make it worth it. @captainslim @mlanger @holyramenempire @aerosavvy I’m interested in the responses to this survey, and see there is a sign of a skew in one direction. I’m wondering what % of respondents saying “no” own any device that actually does FaceID (or android equivalent) and then actively don’t use it, versus just not having any devices that offer face recognition as an option. @consumablejoy That's a good idea, maybe a multi-option poll for "have, don't use" and "don't have, wouldn't use", etc? @consumablejoy @captainslim @mlanger @holyramenempire @aerosavvy doesn't pretty much every smart device do faceID/fingerprint now? Can't imagine a really significant amount of the "no" votes are because people who would use biometric unlocking simply don't have the means 🤷 @captainslim Heroic, thank you! People in the "don't have, wouldn't use" category wouldn't necessarily know this, so it's good to post it. @captainslim @mlanger @holyramenempire @aerosavvy 5-clicking the power button goes right to emergency call which also disables Face ID.  @captainslim @mlanger @holyramenempire @aerosavvy You can also click the power button five times which I find easier @captainslim @mlanger @holyramenempire @aerosavvy if you're REALLY really concerned about police using your biometrics against your will, just don't use it lol. If you're in a situation where that's a possibility, are you gonna rely on having both the opportunity & the foresight to do a special hard reboot? No. You'll take the more secure & lower stress option of a strong passcode & not be in that kind of bind at all. @itsmeholland I don't because the police could force me to unlock the phone if I used my face or fingerprint. A gesture or password they cannot force from me. Not that I have any reason to mistrust the police or anything, but ACAB, so, y'know. Besides, I use Signal for anything good, and set it to erase at the end of each day. So I rarely need to hold out for long. @oldladyplays @mlanger right? They can still get in, but there's more red tape to get those tools and they are lazy.  Seconding this response! Plus, biometric data has a tendency to change. If I find myself with my face damaged or changed in any way, resetting that seems like a true pain. A PIN or pattern for unlocking is ironically more secure and more convenient.  @mlanger i mean i have it, but i always type in the pattern faster than it takes to unlock, lol @mlanger @DWTSquawk7600 reading your replies, I’d be interested in the split between US & non-US answers. If you're concerned about the story doing the rounds in the press currently, the headlines are BS. I don't want anything I use to have the ability to be unlocked by police without a warrant. "Police are not allowed to demand someone to provide their pass code because that would be deemed “testimonial” and go against Fifth Amendment protections from self-incrimination." @jchaven @mlanger just an fyi: on iPhone, if you show the power-off screen you can lock the phone until the passcode is entered again. A person could do this subtly, without looking, by squeezing their phone for a few seconds. Relevant if they have >6 seconds preceding loss of control of the device. Well since the cops can just buy everything that’s on my phone from data brokers, I figure it’s not that much of a risk increase. I had a heck of a time with Touch ID and then all of a sudden it started working. That's on my iPad. @mlanger mine is my iphone. I set it up, it works a few times, then never again. So tired of entering the passcode over and over and over. Tried cleaning the sensor, resetting the phone, registering the same finger multiple times. My current theory is my skin isn't conductive enough or maybe the phone is actually defective. @mlanger I use Face ID because fingerprint scanners don't work very well on me (I guess my fingerprint is too fine) @mlanger No, and will not. I do not trust the state to not use this to unlock a device of mine against my will.  @mlanger@mastodon.world I have face recognition set up on both of my Android devices, but the truth is it seldom works. Fingerprint is more reliable but still sometimes fails.  @mlanger Face unlock seems insecure to me. I have never used it, and I don't feel the need to. I use FaceID for convenience as my company requires a lengthy passcode for any corporate connected personal devices and typing in a 12+ digit passcode every time I want to open my phone is impractical. That's interesting that they'd let you use Face ID when they're so crazy about password security. @mlanger I use it but also I know the quick way to disable it in case I'm in a situation where it could compromise me. (Hold the side button and one of the volume buttons together for two seconds, then press the side button again once the options to turn off the phone or make an emergency call appear. FaceID will be disabled until you enter your passcode.)  @tamaaya I'd just done it before posting my reply to make sure it was still the case that this still worked because I'd not done the 5 button press for a long while. No loud noise from my phone (and I also can't recall it making one in the past, either). Admittedly, it isn't something I try out very often.  @mlanger I do not use FaceId on my Android Phones, but I do tech-support for people. @mlanger Yes. FaceID and TouchID. The reasons not to are mostly far-fetched. Also, FaceID/TouchID are more secure than a PIN or password when out and about in public. Windows Hello on my work PC, however, is laughably insecure (I've had my PC unlock several times without my being anywhere near to looking at it. Eg my cat once did so by walking in front of the screen). So it's highly ironic that work lets us use Windows Hello on the PCs but won't let us use TouchID on the Macs. @dmaonR @mlanger FaceID can be setup to require you to have your eyes open and be physically looking at your phone - no one on Earth can force you to open your eyes *and* look directly ahead. Fail to unlock the phone a few times in a row and FaceID will be blocked and it becomes necessary to use the password. FaceID can only be used to unlock a phone without your consent if you haven't paid attention to how to set it up as securely as possible. @mlanger I'd really love touchID again, since faceid and masks is iffy at best. The actual security is mostly a non-issue though. I can almost certainly trust the people in my environment.   @mlanger It just seems really inconvenient compared to fingerprint, to me. You have to hold your phone in the right place, presumably look at it, I imagine it wouldn't work in the dark etc... whereas with fingerprint, my phone just unlocks as I pick it up. Quick and easy. And yes, I disable fingerprint when I'm at risk of interacting with cops. @CaptainJanegay @mlanger I have been annoying Apple with feedback requests to integrate touchID in their power button on phones like they do with the iPad for years, but as I had a chance to play with faceID - the sensor is IR, so it works in the dark; you can set it to either require attention (looking at the screen) or not. They’ve got it working reasonably well with masks now. Some settings behave differently if you are wearing a passcode-enabled unlocked watch. @mlanger for those use iPhone and have concerns on Face ID/Touch ID, note that press volume key and unlock key for a few seconds, that normally brings up a slider to power off the device, will also disable the bio identification and requires entering PIN numbers to unlock it again. In fact I’m more concerned about if only uses PIN it is harder for me to always remember covering to prevent the combination be recorded by either human or surveillance cameras @mlanger I have sight issues. I have enough sight to use the phone without voice assistant, bit I put it very close to my face. I had an iPhone Xs and I HATED FaceID. I had to put the phone far from me to pay or buy apps, there wasn’t unlock sound at the beginning… FaceID is, for me, very inaccessible, and that’s the reason I have an iPhone SE right now. TouchID or equivalent is more confortable for me. @mlanger@mastodon.world I messed with it once on Android, but it meant that my phone unlocked as soon as it picked up my face, and I didn't like that function.   @mlanger@mastodon.world using it regularly, tho it does sometimes fail with mask+hair in front of my face @mlanger I don't trust any authentication method that somebody could use without my consent like when I'm passed out or asleep, passwords only @angelikatyborska @mlanger I don’t know how Android phones work, but iPhones won’t accept just being pointed at a face. You have to be actively looking at the phone in order for it to unlock.  @mlanger No! I do not want my devices unlocked by a passive system. Your phone held in front of your face while being mugged? Or while asleep? Nope. @mlanger No. To the best of my knowledge: In the USA there is an ability to plead the 5th and not incriminate yourself. you have the right to not remember a password, or unlock pattern. but with a search warrant, the government can force you to give a finger print or other biometric info to unlock a device. I am not an attorney    I've stopped using even the fingerprint sensor, and the reason is not opsec, but a certain distaste at getting my fingers cut off.   @mlanger No, and the reason is convenience. With face unlock, you still have to swipe to get past the lock screen. With fingerprint, it's one action and you're in. The consistency over time is a massive benefit.  @mlanger I’m surprised at these results. And would like to know why the hesitation. In the case of Apple, biometric data is stored on the phone, doesn’t go into the cloud and is not shared with the authenticating party. However retailers, airlines and other orgs routinely collect store and share biometric data. Call centers for example. And ordering boards at fast food joints @mlanger delighted that Android phones still have fingerprint readers. Not sure what I would do if faceID was required on Android  @mlanger I use it on my iPad for the convenience factor, but not on my phone - not because of security per se, but because I don't want my phone to unlock just because I wanted to see my notifications! of note - I got the iPad for making art and don't use it for Apple-y stuff, so I'm not getting notifications on it and I'm usually not taking it anywhere, the way I bring my phone nearly everywhere. @mlanger Thanks. Just wondering since I got locked out of fb and had to submit a video for id rec. I had to move my face and id # that was sent. @mlanger I can’t imagine not using it! I have it on several devices and it saves a lot of hassle. I have my watch unlock my phone and my workstation. Otherwise I use fingerprint unlock on the workstation. The watch and face id linkage was great during covid too. If a mask obscured the face id, the addition of the watch unlocked the phone. Loved it! @mlanger Face rec on Android usually is faster than me putting my finger on the fingerprint reader, but on the cases it isn't or it fails, the fingerprint is already being scanned because the reader is placed where I would unlock my phone anyway. It works well, the 1st method to match wins, so unlocks are consistently fast.  @mlanger My main goal is to keep my brothers out, which I don't think facial recognition can do well enough (and also it doesn't like hats or glasses, which I wear all the time). I would use fingerprint recognition but I don't have a fingerprint (skin condition), so I have to use a PIN.   @mlanger I think I'd prefer Touch ID to Face ID, but Face ID is what I have on my Pixel 4 and iPad, so I choose it out of convenience over entering a PIN, even though I'm not 100% sure I trust it @mlanger FWIW, I have heard Apple representatives say that Face ID has way more entropy than their fingerprint scanners and hence is more secure. (This does not necessarily apply to recent versions of Android which do face recognition with their selfie cameras instead of 3D scanning.) I'm not aware of peer-reviewed research on this, so I'd take it with a grain of salt; its just what a member of the team that did the development of the hardware told me at a conference.   @mlanger my android has both face and fingerprint, and I do have them both configured. Which one I use depends on how dark the environment is, although sometimes it thinks there isn’t enough light and then unlocks by face before I can touch the fingerprint scanner. I use face unlock because my biggest threat is me losing my phone and some idiot finding it. As an American, all my personal data is for sale by data brokers already so any law enforcement organization could get it without access to my phone. @mlanger hell no! I use an 11 digit pin on my device and no fingerprint or Face ID unlock.   @mlanger  Never enable Face ID security: law enforcement can force you to unlock - where they cannot force you to open the device with a numeric ID. I don't enable Siri or anything which uses a microphone, |
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@mlanger My spousal unit has a face rec-enabled device - and does not use it. I have an older finger-id device. When I finally upgrade (this damned phone won't quit! LOL), I think I'll be inclined to use the facial things...