Apologies If I can’t list specific 3rd Android OS here. I know you can’t on some reddit privacy subs due to some beef between devs I guess. I’ll take down if needed :)

Regardless, Ive been running GOS for a while and just found out theres a feature that allows you to use biometrics while still requiring your pin on the initial lock screen. One of my concerns with biometrics is that in some jurisdictions, law enforcement can force someone to open their phone through face ID or thumb print.

I’ve been using this feature that allows you to use biometrics but when you are on the lock screen, it still requires your pin. I thought this was really cool because it allows me to use biometrics only to unlock my apps while still adding an extra layer of protection to the unlocking of the device itself. Obviously slightly Inconvenient depending on your worries/threat level, but I just wanted to share this in case anyone else was interested and didnt know about it! Very cool!

EDIT: I just re-read my screenshot and it looks like fingerprint unlock is not correlated to using fingerprint for app unlocking. If this is the case then I’m not quite sure what the actual benefits are here. Please feel free to clarify!

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  • FischEnglish
    22·
    5 days ago

    I use biometrics for unlock too. If you click “Lockdown” in the power menu or just hold down the power button until your phone restarts (it should vibrate, so you can even do this while it’s still in your pocket), it requires the PIN again in order to be able to unlock it.

    • JackAttack@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
      13·
      5 days ago

      Oh nice. Do you know if the lockdown option encrypts the phone?

      From what I read, I believe on initial boot up, the phone is encrypted before first unlock but no longer after.

      • truthfultemporarily@feddit.org
        8·
        5 days ago

        Its always encrypted, just that the keys are in RAM when it runs.

        In case of graphene though you can have a distress pin that wipes the encryption keys, making the phones content irrecoverable.

        • Broken@lemmy.ml
          1·
          4 days ago

          Is that what it does? I thought it deleted any profile other than the primary one.

          • truthfultemporarily@feddit.org
            5·
            4 days ago

            GrapheneOS provides users with the ability to set a duress PIN/Password that will irreversibly wipe the device (along with any installed eSIMs) once entered anywhere where the device credentials are requested (on the lockscreen, along with any such prompt in the OS).

      • Quereller@lemmy.one
        8·
        5 days ago

        I was reading somewhere Android is not encrypting the storage whit lockdown, only biometrics are disabled.

    • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      5·
      5 days ago

      Yes, but that requires you to have it. If it’s been snatched out of your hand, it’s too late for that.

      • kipo@lemm.eeEnglish
        4·
        5 days ago

        There is an app called Private Lock that will put the phone in lockdown if the accelerometer is triggered to a certain degree. It can work even when the screen is off.