Smartphone Fingerprint scanner

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Oct 16, 2010
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My old Samsung S4 mini is soon to no longer be supported by my carrier, Ting.

I had some other Samsung phones from my dad that I used as mp3 players, or accellerometer or Lux or Db apps, which technically are supported, when I plugged in the IMEI number, and having ordered a new Sim card.

But getting trac phone to unlock them, induced a seething fury that caused the splintering of much wood via Latin machete, a process not yet finished as the hatred rage and fury of the attempt to accomplish the task, still lingers.

I resigned myself to buying a Samsung A11 from Ting, even though I have 3 other phones technically supported by my network, but all originally came from trac fone, and I cant even begin to relate how detestable I find their customer service.

I am usually pretty good at deciphering accents, but half of what was said was not to be understood. As far as i was able to understand, I had to open up a new account with them, in order to have the phone unlocked or be provided with the unlock code. I just hung up after asking for a 4th time what the eff she just said. Just gimme the dang unlock code.
Not to be.

The Samsung A11 has a fingerprint scanner, although I never used a screen lock before.

Looking at the finger which would be scanned, if i were to use it, reveals many deep scratches, and callous splits , which will always be a bit different depending on the tasks of the previous days.
If I were to decide to use the fingerprint scanner, would I be likely to be locked from the phone as I actually use my hands and my fingerprints often get all smeared slashed and burnt and embedded with crud?

Is the fingerprint scanner only useful for those whose hands are pink and soft and manicured regularly?

I often just take my dremel and a barrel sander to clean my fingertips as it is far faster and more effective than dawn dishsoap and sand or a scotchbrite pad.

Hate wearing gloves.
 
On my Samsung Galaxy S20 you can use both the fingerprint scanner and the pattern/PIN unlock like you would normally use. If you fail the fingerprint scan enough times it'll require you to use pattern or PIN to unlock, or you can just swipe up on the lock screen.
 
What's the point of a fingerprint scanner? If someone steals your phone, they make a bunch of long distance or international calls? I can see it as just a gimmick that can break and leave you unable to make a call.
not how that works.
 
What's the point of a fingerprint scanner? If someone steals your phone, they make a bunch of long distance or international calls? I can see it as just a gimmick that can break and leave you unable to make a call.
Over the past two decades or so, mobile devices have been released which have capabilities beyond that of a telephone. They contain storage for personal information, and "apps" which may be connected to one's banking information, or contain credits for purchases to be made at retailers and other service providers. For that reason, many users prefer to secure the devices - commonly referred to as "smart phones" with a password or other means of security. One of those means is biometrics.
 
i rely on face unlock more than fingerprint . you can activate both ,and a pin code. the fingerprint scanner on my one plus is spotty. the non optical ones seem to work better then the inscreen ones in my expereince
 
Not sure about the phone in question, but my phone allows you to have multiple fingerprints scanned. Helps when you get a cut or have a Band-Aid on one finger
 
I use facial recognition to unlock my phone. I can do anything normal on my phone. If I use my banking app I have it set to prompt me for a finger print. It has it's uses.
 
What's the point of a fingerprint scanner? If someone steals your phone, they make a bunch of long distance or international calls? I can see it as just a gimmick that can break and leave you unable to make a call.

Or they change all your banking passwords since they have access to your email and drain all your accounts.
 
Being a mechanic, I feel your pain. My fingerprints are so disfigured I can barely get past the initial registration phase, let alone actually use my print to unlock the phone. I've resigned to using either face unlock or a PIN which pretty much covers all my bases. Are either as secure? Technically, no. Am I storing level 5 classified information on my phone that's a matter of national security? Also no. Face unlock is very handy, and the pin backup provides an option in dark areas where my face can't be picked up. I've actually adopted using face unlock for both my Robinhood app and my credit union app. It's just convenient.
 
What's the point of a fingerprint scanner? If someone steals your phone, they make a bunch of long distance or international calls? I can see it as just a gimmick that can break and leave you unable to make a call.

This is something I'm somewhat familiar with at a professional level.

At least at the level of most PCs and mobile devices, it serves as a password replacement. Some older devices used to have a secure storage of passwords and the use of the fingerprint would then access the password for different websites/services. At least with an iPhone the fingerprint only serves as an alternate means of unlocking or accessing saved password entries. If it doesn't work (and I've had a fingerprint that no longer registered) the alternative is to just use the regular passcode and maybe delete and re-register a fingerprint. Apple bought a company that made a combination of "swipe" and "area" sensors. It used to be that area sensors were pretty big, but the "swipe" type could capture almost an entire fingerprint by dragging the surface of the finger and recreating an accurate print.

There are standards for a full fingerprint scan and comparison, but the average smart phone doesn't do that. It's really about capturing a certain level of "minutiae" such as ridge endings or bifurcation (splitting into two ridges). Depends on the particular algorithm used, but it's rare to store an entire fingerprint. For the most part these little readers are only going to capture the center of a fingerprint, even when they direct the user to move the finger around to try and reassemble as much of a surface as possible. It might try to capture a dozen or so minutiae with position and direction. Then when it's used to unlock, it's only looking to compare with a that. Here's an example:

image7.jpg
 
Not sure about the phone in question, but my phone allows you to have multiple fingerprints scanned. Helps when you get a cut or have a Band-Aid on one finger

It doesn't have to be an exact match. It's really looking for minutiae with their relative location and direction. Even if a few minutiae are missing or damaged, it will probably work. It's not really looking for a one in a billion certainty.
 
Being a mechanic, I feel your pain. My fingerprints are so disfigured I can barely get past the initial registration phase, let alone actually use my print to unlock the phone. I've resigned to using either face unlock or a PIN which pretty much covers all my bases. Are either as secure? Technically, no. Am I storing level 5 classified information on my phone that's a matter of national security? Also no. Face unlock is very handy, and the pin backup provides an option in dark areas where my face can't be picked up. I've actually adopted using face unlock for both my Robinhood app and my credit union app. It's just convenient.

I worked in an office where we were testing these devices out and had everyone in the office try to register. Of course we joked about sending the print to the FBI for one reason or another. However, there was one person in the office who just couldn't seem to get it to work at all. Something to do with the skin. Fingerprints themselves were perfect without any mechanical damage to the skin as you seem to have. But it just wouldn't register with the equipment, which used capacitive sensing. I think this person could get other types of fingerprint readers (the kind with an optical sensor) with no problem. However, these can be "spoofed" with rubber copies or even images on paper.

I can't think of any consumer system that relies on a fingerprint without a password or passcode option. At least with Apple devices, one it comes up from power-on, the only option to start up is to use a passcode.
 
Thanks for the info all.

I like the idea of an easy unlock, but honestly when my security screen was only a simple swipe, i turned it off as it was annoying to have to swipe just to fast forward the song that didn't suit my mood.

I don't have a sneaky significant other who feels completely entitled to view everything on my phone, Like all my married friends.
My desire for security mostly would be to deprive a potential thief of my phone, the use of my phone.

If the sorry state of my fingerprint would keep me from being able to unlock the phone, I am glad there are likely other options for doing so.

Honesty my s4 Mini was all that I ever needed, and I am PO'd that I have to 'upgrade' and learn a new phone and transfer my contacts and music.

Am also not thrilled about a huge phone that wont easily fit in a shirt's chest pocket.

But whats done is done, and perhaps in time I can convince myself I am glad to have a lower end 'new'phone
 
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