Mobile security fingerprint ID from Apple opened to designers

mobile technology news fingerprint biometrics security

The technology giant has announced that it will be opening up its identification tech to app creators.

Apple has announced that it will be giving mobile app designers an additional option for mobile security by opening up its fingerprint ID feature that will enable them to toughen up the protection level by another layer.

The announcement was made among a range of different revelations at the World Wide Developers conference.

This was the 25th anniversary of the event and was the chosen venue for Apple’s announcement that it would be sharing its mobile security layer with the fingerprint ID feature with third party app developers. It means that from now on, the fingerprint scanning tech will be available not only for protecting the actual mobile device, but it will also help to boost the protection for individual applications so that even if the device has been compromised, the apps may not be.

The hope is that this mobile security feature will help to protect more elements against unauthorized use.

technology news fingerprint biometrics mobile securityFurthermore, mobile device users could choose to use prints from different fingers for securing different apps. For instance, while they may choose to use their thumb print from the right hand to be able to access the device, itself, that may be the only thing that can be unlocked by that fingerprint. The index finger on the left hand may be chosen, for example, to unlock the mobile banking app that is installed on the device, boosting the security level even further.

Up until now, the only app that has been secured using the fingerprint scanning Touch ID system from Apple, is the iTunes application. This security is available on the latest iOS devices.

On the other hand – so to speak – Samsung, one of Apple’s largest rivals in the industry, has not been as restrictive with the use of the fingerprint reader on its Samsung Galaxy S5, which is based on the Android operating system. Moreover, PayPal has been using that feature to add an additional protection layer to its mobile payments app. Now that Apple has opened up the Touch ID to third party app developers, it is likely that it will become a much more commonly used mobile security feature.

One Thought to “Mobile security fingerprint ID from Apple opened to designers”

  1. Roger Milton

    I like where this is going even though I don’t feel that apps are doing as much to advance mobile payments as hardware providers like PayAnywhere, but anything that will push consumer adoption toward payments via mobile phone in any fashion is still good for this industry.

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