Apple Patents Touch ID 'Panic Mode' for Instant Access to Emergency Services

[NT1440]

They would probably know because you fumbling around trying to use your pinky to unlock the phone.

The only issue I see with this is how do you disable it? Maybe a silent alarm mode would be better - the phone looks like it unlocks but is actually in panic mode and data is still locked down.

...So use a finger that's not your pinky?

 

[Avatarshark]

From what I have heard, fingerprints aren't handled the same way a password is under the law. A law enforcement officer cannot force you to give up your password, but he/she can require you to give up your finger. In this specific instance, a fingerprint is not as secure as a password. Apple's solution here may be a way around that, allowing a citizen to quickly put their phone in a mode that isn't unlock able by a normal fingerprint and thus needs to be unlocked using a separate password, which can't be required by LEO. This would fit in nicely with Apple's stance that they cannot (and will not) give up information that is stored on someone's phone.

Since there are only 5 slots, and three attempts with touchid, you could just use your 3 attempts with fingers that you didn't set tocuhid with, just pretend that you don't remember which finger you set in the moment. Problem solved. So same thing here if leo forces you to open your phone just do the finger with the limited mode set, they don't know

 

[kingpushup]

likely Apple will let you select which panic features to enable

If calling police is enabled, and if drunken accidental panic, then just enter passcode ... or maybe 3 valid prints in certain order

6s ID recognition is instant, so there would be no delay or 'fumbling' to tipoff the intruder

Intruder may stop you earlier and say, Not that finger; so designate 2 prints as panic options

 

[JimmyHook]

You'll really feel the panic when you try to use 'panic mode' when your iPhone's battery dies.

You really feel the panic when you realize your android phone has massive security flaws affecting 1 billion devices and won't ever be fixed.

 

[wesk702]

From what I have heard, fingerprints aren't handled the same way a password is under the law. A law enforcement officer cannot force you to give up your password, but he/she can require you to give up your finger. In this specific instance, a fingerprint is not as secure as a password. Apple's solution here may be a way around that, allowing a citizen to quickly put their phone in a mode that isn't unlock able by a normal fingerprint and thus needs to be unlocked using a separate password, which can't be required by LEO. This would fit in nicely with Apple's stance that they cannot (and will not) give up information that is stored on someone's phone.

This is what I believe is the exact reason they did this. This is what happens when the government tries to outsmart the tech industry.
It's pretty much giving the law "the finger."

 

[rdlink]

You'll really feel the panic when you try to use 'panic mode' when your iPhone's battery dies.

It's curious to me that, every time a new potentially life enhancing/altering feature or app is mentioned someone has to state the obvious, that batteries run down on electronics.

If your phone is important enough to integrate this deeply into your life isn't it important enough to monitor its battery state and take mitigating efforts to keep it functioning?

I wonder how often these people run out of gas because they can't be bothered to check their gas gauge...

This is a great idea. But I'm wondering how it well it would actually work in a panic situation. You wouldn't want to use a common finger that you normally use to open the device. For instance, I've set four different fingerprints and usually use all of them during the course of a day, depending on how I'm holding the phone. (No "You're holding it wrong" jokes, please...) But having it triggered by a different finger might make it more awkward to use. Then again, I'm probably a special case; I assume most people have just one or two prints set to open their phones.

I don't believe you're a special case. I have my phone set up the same way, and I also use different fingers depending on the situation.

 

[alfm]

I'd keep an emergency finger in my pocket just in case. The thief would never think of looking there.

 

[testcard]

"Hey Siri, activate panic mode and lockdown".

 

[johnnyturbouk]

Panic mode seems all very well, but for my requirements, panic mode would be when my caffeine levels are low and costa's is closed.

 

[Cisco_Kid]

"Hey Siri, activate panic mode, I've been pulled over by the police"

 

[Allthings-I]

Along with it, Apple should implement 2 more things when Panic mode is activated:

1) Disable the power switch so thief / would be thief cannot power off the device until battery dies.

2) lock SIM tray, so thief / would be thief cannot disconnect the device's communication to the cellular network, allowing greater possibility of recovery.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

From what I have heard, fingerprints aren't handled the same way a password is under the law. A law enforcement officer cannot force you to give up your password, but he/she can require you to give up your finger. In this specific instance, a fingerprint is not as secure as a password. Apple's solution here may be a way around that, allowing a citizen to quickly put their phone in a mode that isn't unlock able by a normal fingerprint and thus needs to be unlocked using a separate password, which can't be required by LEO. This would fit in nicely with Apple's stance that they cannot (and will not) give up information that is stored on someone's phone.

And that is precisely why I like this.

 

[urbancity]

on an unrelated note, it would be awesome if different fingers would enable different profiles - work, play, kid, stranger, etc.

 

[Nunyabinez]

On a tangental note, is anyone else frustrated with the speed at which TouchID works now? I am so used to just tapping my home button to peruse the notifications or see the time, and I constantly inadvertently activate it and lose that screen. I wish you could set the amount of time for it to work.

I guess I need to re-train myself to use a different finger when I only want to see the lock screen .

 

[pat500000]

Is there a panic button for iOS or OS X problems?

 

[NightFox]

I like the idea of having an "emergency finger". I'm not sure which one I would select yet, but I'd definitely paint it or get it tattooed with yellow and black stripes

 

[testcard]

I like the idea of having an "emergency finger". I'm not sure which one I would select yet, but I'd definitely paint it or get it tattooed with yellow and black stripes

I might nominate one of my toes for this role.

 

[dennysanders]

How is a person supposed to know that your ring finger, or whichever you choose, is the designated emergency finger?

they could tell them to enter the passcode instead

 

[gnasher729]

they could tell them to enter the passcode instead

An obvious possibility is to have a "panic" passcode that achieves exactly the same thing as the "panic" button. Expensive house alarms connected to the police do that (alarm is turned off, but quietly calls the police).

 

[TroyThrust]

The United States Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent application initially filed by Apple in May of 2014, describing a method for users to designate a specific finger to unlock an iPhone with using Touch ID, which would then cause the iPhone to enter a "panic mode" (via Business Insider). The mode could then tell the iPhone to completely lock down, limiting access to personal data if a user is being forced to unlock their iPhone.

Currently, Apple allows users to enter up to five different fingerprints to unlock an iPhone, so users would just have to designate which is the "emergency" print in the Touch ID settings menu. Apple's patent describes a situation in which a thief attempts to rob someone's iPhone from them to gain access to their personal and private data stored within, and the user being robbed quickly placing the panic mode finger on Touch ID so the thief can't access any data.

The company is going one step further with the patent application, however, describing a way in which the activation of panic mode turns on the iPhone's camera and microphone to capture a robbery or crime as it happens and sending all the data to both a user's iCloud account and possibly even local police. Another section of the patent details a possible way for the device in panic mode to act as a beacon, alerting nearby devices (other iPhones, computers, etc) to a possible crime in their vicinity so they can alert the authorities and come to the panic mode activator's aid.
The new patent -- inventor credit going to Karthik Sudhir -- also describes more basic functions of the feature, including a straight-forward klaxon that blares until a user confirms that they're safe and even a way for Touch ID users to set up specific apps to open immediately when they unlock the iPhone with specific fingers. As with all other patents, "panic mode" is far from confirmed and may never even make it into a future version of the iPhone, but it remains an interesting glimpse into the internal discussions at Apple regarding the company's possible future products.

Article Link: Apple Patents Touch ID 'Panic Mode' for Instant Access to Emergency Services

They already do. Sort of. If you need to call emergency services but are unsure of your location, just open the compass app, look at the bottom of the screen and you will find internationally recognised Lat and Long co-ordintes for your location. These are the same details that rescue services will use to locate you in an emergency. You don't even need a data connection to use this. Be Safe!!!

 

[TroyThrust]

They already do. Sort of. If you need to call emergency services but are unsure of your location, just open the compass app, look at the bottom of the screen and you will find internationally recognised Lat and Long co-ordintes for your location. These are the same details that rescue services will use to locate you in an emergency. You don't even need a data connection to use this. Be Safe!!!

If any of you Android guys could let us know of similar features on the Droid side i'm sure it would be useful in an emergency situation. Cheers!!

 

[sulpfiction]

Great idea, but it would be nice if they can add a similar feature to the Apple Watch.

Being a white farmer in South Africa, it's will be handy to allert family or other farmers close by when an attack occurs. Sending the alert to our police service will be suicidal though, they are useless and in many cases involved with the crime.

Sounds like you need to move.

 

[Peter K.]

From what I have heard, fingerprints aren't handled the same way a password is under the law. A law enforcement officer cannot force you to give up your password, but he/she can require you to give up your finger. In this specific instance, a fingerprint is not as secure as a password. Apple's solution here may be a way around that, allowing a citizen to quickly put their phone in a mode that isn't unlock able by a normal fingerprint and thus needs to be unlocked using a separate password, which can't be required by LEO. This would fit in nicely with Apple's stance that they cannot (and will not) give up information that is stored on someone's phone.

This was my first thought when reading this.

 

[MrChurchyard]

On a tangental note, is anyone else frustrated with the speed at which TouchID works now? I am so used to just tapping my home button to peruse the notifications or see the time, and I constantly inadvertently activate it and lose that screen. I wish you could set the amount of time for it to work.

I guess I need to re-train myself to use a different finger when I only want to see the lock screen .

This has changed with iOS 10 because the screen wakes when you pick up the phone, and by default you unlock only by also pressing the Home button. Just wait until iOS 10 is released

 

[kdarling]

Talk about filing for the obvious.

Considering how often I've heard someone think of this idea before (dedicating a finger to an emergency or wipe mode), this patent application should be denied.

However, even though the patent description does mention the possibility of starting different apps with different fingers, it does not try to claim such as an Apple invention. It'd be difficult to do so anyway, since even in 2007 the Toshiba Protege (the first "retina" screen) smartphone allowed the user to launch different apps with different fingers on its fingerprint sensor.