Apple Explores iPhone 'Privacy Screens', Macs With Adjustable Viewing Angles

[MacRumors]

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal published an in-depth report highlighting instances of thieves watching iPhone owners enter their passcode before stealing the device in order to gain access to the device, data, and money.

With knowledge of the iPhone's passcode, a thief can easily reset the victim's Apple ID password in the Settings app, even if Face ID or Touch ID is enabled. It also allows a thief to use Apple Pay, send Apple Cash, and access banking apps using passwords stored in iCloud Keychain.

"We sympathize with users who have had this experience and we take all attacks on our users very seriously, no matter how rare," said Apple in response to the report. "We will continue to advance the protections to help keep user accounts secure."

Apple did not provide any specific details about any next steps it might take to increase security, but there are indications that Apple may be seeking a hardware solution to scupper the scourge of so-called "shoulder surfers."

Current displays on Apple devices provide a 170-degree field of view, making it easier for others to glance at your iPhone, iPad, or Mac screen. To counter this, two new patents by Apple propose innovative solutions to restrict screen visibility to just the user.

The first patent, "Privacy Films for Curved Displays," introduces a special screen covering that limits light emission to a single direction.

Positioned directly in front of the screen, the user is witness to the display's full quality and optimal brightness. However, onlookers attempting to peek from even a slight angle to the left or right of this position are not so lucky, and see either a completely obscured view or, more likely, a blurred image.

The second patent, "Displays with Adjustable Angles of View," is designed for flat screens, and describes how a user could adjust a Mac's viewing angle in real-time to act as a filter.

In one embodiment, the user is able to control the screen's polarization using an array of adjustable louvres, effectively limiting visibility from side-on viewing angles and increasing the privacy of onscreen content. The patent also describes how a liquid crystal element could be used that restricts the visibility of certain colors when the screen is not viewed directly.

As with any filed patent, the technology is unlikely to appear in any product soon, if at all, but it does offer an interesting look at how Apple is considering ways to overcome privacy issues when users access their devices in public spaces.

Until such a time, users can adopt best practices for their own smartphone privacy, such as switching from a four-digit passcode to an alphanumeric passcode, which is more difficult for thieves to spy on. This can be done in the Settings app under Face ID & Passcode → Change Passcode.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Article Link: Apple Explores iPhone 'Privacy Screens', Macs With Adjustable Viewing Angles

 

[RichP]

It would make for an interesting feature if adjusted by software. Have the lock screen/ passcode entry with a very narrow viewing angle, then once the phone is unlocked then the full viewing angle is enabled. Could also do this on an app/ function basis. Bank app? Narrow. Watching a video? Full.

 

[swingerofbirch]

It seems like after that report came out it would have been rather trivial to offer an option to randomize the numberpad each time you use it. And/or allow an option to disable resetting the Apple ID password from the Settings app. They can reinvent the wheel down the line, but there are practical, easy to deploy solutions available now.

 

[Powerbooky]

I see so many people at the supermarkets push their PIN on terminals without covering the keyboard. Not specifically elderly or blonds. It's baffling how careless people are.

 

[wikiverse]

3M already sell privacy films that do this and they've been available since the iPhone 4. They can be applied to flat and curved displays, so it's not clear what Apple is trying to patent here.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

Seems like a cool idea, but there would need to be some new technology that does not degrade the display quality.

There are already a bunch of laptops with integrated privacy screens, and it usually makes the display worse even if looked at 'correctly'

 

[Andronicus]

“ using an array of adjustable louvres, effectively limiting visibility from side-on viewing angles “

Is “louvres” the correct word for this? 🤔

 

[Infodataset]

Great...now noone know i watch porn beside them

 

[antiprotest]

This would prevent people from seeing the contents on your screen, and for that it could be useful. Of course, I would want this to be optional, since most of the time I am the one who wants to look at my phone from an angle. It is placed to the side on my desk while I work on the desktop, and I often glance at the AOD for the notifications and what not.

But it might make it only marginally more difficult to learn your passcode since the person watching you is also looking at your finger, not just the screen. Tapping only six numbers on a big keypad makes it obvious what numbers you are tapping. So I think that issue demands a separate solution.

 

[Godspeed8230]

Imo, changing your Apple ID password should be more difficult/secure, I am thinking maybe 2FA via another device. It shouldn't be this easy for any criminal.

 

[Return Zero]

It would make for an interesting feature if adjusted by software. Have the lock screen/ passcode entry with a very narrow viewing angle, then once the phone is unlocked then the full viewing angle is enabled. Could also do this on an app/ function basis. Bank app? Narrow. Watching a video? Full.

It really would be cool to have this dynamically activated. Any time you get a security code text, enter passwords/payment/personal info into text fields, when using private browsing or hidden folders, etc. If I could switch this off/on with the action button, I would use it almost all the time!

 

[reklex]

why would they do this?

these privacy screen protectors show that this is a bad idea, purposely reducing screen viewing angles is stupid.

whenever you want to show people something you literally have to hand them your phone.

 

[neilw]

But it might make it only marginally more difficult to learn your passcode since the person watching you is also looking at your finger, not just the screen. Tapping only six numbers on a big keypad makes it obvious what numbers you are tapping. So I think that issue demands a separate solution.

Came here to say this. For numeric passcodes it'd be easy enough to watch the fingers rather than the screen, unless they randomize the layout each time. Probably difficult to watch teh full keyboard for alphanumerics, but I don't know how many folks use complex passcodes.

 

[purplerainpurplerain]

Waste of time.

There was once this temp manager who worked in my department.

She had these stupid screens on top of her laptop but nobody was even going near here.

Nobody could give a **** what was on her screen and at a steep angle most people just don’t have the time and energy to read someone’s screen.

In public you just need to make sure some dirty dip **** isn’t near you. If they are a screen cover won’t do anything. They’ll use a five dollar wrench attack.

 

[randyhudson]

and see either a completely obscured view or, more likely, a blurred image

a blurred image would be impossible. Is basic physics no longer required in high school?

 

[dzankizakon]

It's a hard problem. People who this happens to surely never imagined it could happen to them.

When it happens - it's too late to do anything about it.
Before it happens - you think it would never happen.

 

[iPay]

Biometrics + Password can't add up as different factors since in Apple case, biometrics are only here to push a decoded password to the authentication system, with access rights based on password verification.
Now for the real question: if an Apple wiping cloth costs $25, how much for iPrivacyScreen Pro, Plus, Max and Ultra?

 

[chucker23n1]

It seems like after that report came out it would have been rather trivial to offer an option to randomize the numberpad each time you use it. And/or allow an option to disable resetting the Apple ID password from the Settings app. They can reinvent the wheel down the line, but there are practical, easy to deploy solutions available now.

I imagine the overlap between people who 1) enter a num pad passcode (rather than a password) and 2) consider randomizing that numpad "practical" is zero.

If that's what you want, just switch to a password. That'll make shoulder surfing a lot harder.

 

[Nimrad]

In public you just need to make sure some dirty dip **** isn’t near you. If they are a screen cover won’t do anything. They’ll use a five dollar wrench attack.

Some of us actually deal with sensitive information and need these privacy screens for airports, train rides etc. It’s not about passwords, it’s about the information on your screen. However, the implementation of this on my current laptop is ****. They just made a screen with terrible viewing angles and the “on/off” button of the privacy filter is only turning down the brightness so the viewing angles get even worse. In practice it’s just a horrible screen sold as a feature. If Apple manages to do it in a proper way I’d be happy to oblige, but to be honest it seems kinda niche for a full rollout.

 

[CarAnalogy]

This would prevent people from seeing the contents on your screen, and for that it could be useful. Of course, I would want this to be optional, since most of the time I am the one who wants to look at my phone from an angle. It is placed to the side on my desk while I work on the desktop, and I often glance at the AOD for the notifications and what not.

But it might make it only marginally more difficult to learn your passcode since the person watching you is also looking at your finger, not just the screen. Tapping only six numbers on a big keypad makes it obvious what numbers you are tapping. So I think that issue demands a separate solution.

Apple really needs to stop allowing the Apple ID to be reset with the phone passcode.

I sympathize with them, because when I'm supporting users the question I dread asking them the most (and usually the only question I can't find the answer to on my own) is: what's your password?

Blank look. Pulse quickens. "uh..password? what password?" They then enter the same two passwords they use with sixty different services. They don't even know what account they're trying to log in to. But it still doesn't work.

So they choose reset. Every single time. They enter the same password with a different number at the end. And then they promptly forget this whole unpleasant incident ever happened, setting the stage for it to happen again.

I know Apple's support costs would skyrocket, but it's unfortunate that people who can keep up with their passwords have to suffer a fundamentally insecure system because the vast majority of users never had any education on basic computer usage.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I think the better solution would be to make a proper privacy screen protector and sell it in the Apple Store. They already have cases and polishing cloths. They could design it with their exact screen in mind so it might work better than the average third party option.

This would be useful for the people who need it, but having had to work on monitors with privacy shields installed, it is super annoying for everything else. Unless they come up with a screen innovation that allows this to be turned on and off in software, I don't see how they could ship it standard.

 

[jntdroid]

"scupper the scourge of so-called "shoulder surfers.""

I bet the writer enjoyed that clever line...

 

[theluggage]

Is “louvres” the correct word for this? 🤔

Yes, they're going to attach a matrix of famous French art galleries to the screen. Anybody attempting to peek at your PIN will see an image of the Mona Lisa instead.

Or, maybe they're just using the proper - sorry - British English spelling of "louver" (ugh!), meaning angled slats on a window, door or shutter.

 

[ApAx]

I can see this as a benefit in our client hospitals. Our providers walk through the hospitals with health records on phones and iPads all day long. We even use Thunderbolt displays on our remote/virtual bedside telehealth platform. Visiting family members, vendors, and care teams not directly involved with a particular patient are always around while the providers reference/chart on other patients throughout the day.

 

[Mother Nature]

3M already sell privacy films that do this and they've been available since the iPhone 4. They can be applied to flat and curved displays, so it's not clear what Apple is trying to patent here.

Let me put it clear for you "or, more likely, a blurred image." Current privacy films just obscure your screen.