iPhone 13 Is my 13 *really* secure?

[Mark Stone]

Today I was “babysitting” my 9-year-old grandson. I set my iPhone 13 next to me on the table. He walked up, and in a quick motion, picked it up and pointed the screen in my direction - I glanced at the phone (just a natural response) - it unlocks - and he, walking away, says “Thanks Apa, I just wanted to look at some YouTube Videos”.

I think I’m going back to a PIN.

 

[Fred Zed]

Today I was “babysitting” my 9-year-old grandson. I set my iPhone 13 next to me on the table. He walked up, and in a quick motion, picked it up and pointed the screen in my direction - I glanced at the phone (just a natural response) - it unlocks - and he, walking away, says “Thanks Apa, I just wanted to look at some YouTube Videos”.

I think I’m going back to a PIN.

Next time close your eyes.

 

[Mark Stone]

Next time close your eyes.

Or just not look at it. But it all happened too fast 😂

 

[hdmdc]

The implementation of security for a mass product always hangs on the balance of easiness/convenience of use & security. If something is too secure and cumbersome to use most people won't use it, and thus the whole reason for the feature existing goes out of the window.

 

[RRC]

If you don't want him to access stuff on your phone, don't let him?! He's 9...

 

[Deedeekay]

Face ID is terrible and a big step backwards in both security and convenience. I hate it.

 

[geta]

Today I was “babysitting” my 9-year-old grandson. I set my iPhone 13 next to me on the table. He walked up, and in a quick motion, picked it up and pointed the screen in my direction - I glanced at the phone (just a natural response) - it unlocks - and he, walking away, says “Thanks Apa, I just wanted to look at some YouTube Videos”.

I think I’m going back to a PIN.

Thats why TouchID is ways better.

 

[Davidhedge]

Off topic but are you Hungarian?

 

[RRC]

Face ID is terrible and a big step backwards in both security and convenience. I hate it.

Face ID is the most secure method? In what way is it less secure? You can be forced to look at a screen the same as you can be forced to use your fingerprint with Touch ID.
With regards to the OP's example - simply don't leave your phone lying around?! Solves the problem...

 

[emmab2006]

Yes it is.

 

[Saturn007]

You can be forced to look at a screen the same as you can be forced to use your fingerprint with Touch ID.

The 9-year-old in question was savvy — pointed the phone at his grandpa and unlocked the device. Didn't force anything.

The grandson, however, would be hard pressed to get grandpa's fingerprint without his explicit cooperation! He certainly couldn't “force” him to do it.

So, in that case, Face ID is definitely less secure! 😎

Picture a pickpocket or hold-up in winter… they could grab the phone and do exactly what the youngster did. Quick and easy. However, getting someone to take off their glove or mitten, ensuring their finger is lined up on the Touch ID scanner, and confirming that it worked would take time. It would draw attention, or could lead to the phone being grabbed back.

So, even in that hypothetical, Touch ID would be more secure…

OTOH, given that many feel that Face ID is less accurate, and on older phones doesn’t work if the owner has a mask on, that could make *it* more secure! 😎

 

[AlixSPQR]

My eldest daughter could open my youngest daughter's iPhone with Face ID. Apple also frequently suggests that they are the same person in Photos. I don't believe they are very similar in appearance, not for us humans anyway. But Face ID is very convenient and our leading Bank ID app here in Sweden accepts it fully. That's good enough for me, since I also have a physical control of my iPhone.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

The 9-year-old in question was savvy — pointed the phone at his grandpa and unlocked the device. Didn't force anything.

The grandson, however, would be hard pressed to get grandpa's fingerprint without his explicit cooperation! He certainly couldn't “force” him to do it.

So, in that case, Face ID is definitely less secure! 😎

Picture a pickpocket or hold-up in winter… they could grab the phone and do exactly what the youngster did. Quick and easy. However, getting someone to take off their glove or mitten, ensuring their finger is lined up on the Touch ID scanner, and confirming that it worked would take time. It would draw attention, or could lead to the phone being grabbed back.

So, even in that hypothetical, Touch ID would be more secure…

OTOH, given that many feel that Face ID is less accurate, and on older phones doesn’t work if the owner has a mask on, that could make *it* more secure! 😎

I keep my phone in my front pocket so sticking your hand in there would only get multiple punches in the face as a response...

 

[Mark Stone]

Thats why TouchID is ways better.

Agreed.

 

[antiprotest]

Thats why TouchID is ways better.

TouchID cannot protect you if you are asleep or knocked out or unaware. With FaceID you can turn on "require attention" and it would not work if someone points it at you while you are asleep.

 

[PauloSera]

Today I was “babysitting” my 9-year-old grandson. I set my iPhone 13 next to me on the table. He walked up, and in a quick motion, picked it up and pointed the screen in my direction - I glanced at the phone (just a natural response) - it unlocks - and he, walking away, says “Thanks Apa, I just wanted to look at some YouTube Videos”.

I think I’m going back to a PIN.

Face ID is not a security feature. It is a convenience feature. The pin is the only actual security.

 

[antiprotest]

Today I was “babysitting” my 9-year-old grandson. I set my iPhone 13 next to me on the table. He walked up, and in a quick motion, picked it up and pointed the screen in my direction - I glanced at the phone (just a natural response) - it unlocks - and he, walking away, says “Thanks Apa, I just wanted to look at some YouTube Videos”.

I think I’m going back to a PIN.

Did you have "require attention" turned on?

 

[Alex Cai]

Face ID is the most secure method? In what way is it less secure? You can be forced to look at a screen the same as you can be forced to use your fingerprint with Touch ID.
With regards to the OP's example - simply don't leave your phone lying around?! Solves the problem...

But it is much easier for somebody to hold a phone at your face than to pull your thumb to the home button

 

[Alex Cai]

TouchID cannot protect you if you are asleep or knocked out or unaware. With FaceID you can turn on "require attention" and it would not work if someone points it at you while you are asleep.

Tru, Face ID is more secure in these scenarios

 

[Jackbequickly]

Or just not look at it. But it all happened too fast 😂

It is supposed to be fast and near transparent in everyday use. You allowed the kids to have your phone so . . . . .

 

[BenGoren]

Physical security is the foundation upon which all other security rests.

If you don’t physically control the device, it’s not secure.

There are certainly situations in which it’s not safe to assume the phone can be physically controlled sufficiently to trust biometrics like FaceID or TouchID. It’s not even hard to imagine fairly ordinary people wanting to turn off those features on occasion, such as when going through customs in a country whose government you don’t exactly trust.

But, overwhelmingly, for almost everybody virtually all the time, maintaining physical control of the phone to the extent that biometrics are a reasonable unlocking mechanism is pretty much a given.

Worried about your grandkids unlocking your phone? Apply whatever discipline you would if you caught them stealing cookies from the cookie jar. (A simple, “Hey, that’s seriously not cool. Hand the phone back, and you can forget about ‘borrowing’ my phone for the rest of the trip” would probably do it in this case; if not, that’s between you and the parents.)

b&

 

[Danfango]

If this was my kid I'd start subcontracting them out as a penetration tester.

 

[mandy_k]

If you can anticipate that you’ll be in a situation where this is a problem, give your phone a quick squeeze (sleep button + volume up or down) until the “Slide to power off” screen appears (no need to actually power off). The next unlock will require a PIN.

 

[Choco Taco]

When you let kids do whatever they want to your phone then no, it’s not secure. Kids are funny, though.

 

[Mark Stone]

If this was my kid I'd start subcontracting them out as a penetration tester.

Actually, I’ve forwarded his resume to the CIA 😂