Hello everyone, I’m hoping to gain some insight regarding a privacy concern. I’m always mindful of the possibility that my biometric fingerprint, which I use regularly, could be accessed by someone if I were compelled to use it. For context, I’m not a criminal or particularly tech-savvy, and I’m relatively new to the world of privacy and FOSS applications. I currently use a Samsung phone. I’ve found that enabling Lockdown mode at night without needing to restart my device prevents anyone from accessing my phone while I sleep. However, my concern stems from a different scenario. Recently, while shopping, I experienced a sudden medical episode and lost consciousness for about ten minutes. During that time, shopkeepers assisted me. I’m worried that in such a vulnerable state, if someone were to misuse my biometric data, they could gain access to all my passwords and personal information, which feels unsafe. While I do value the convenience of biometrics, I’m seeking alternative solutions. Is there a way to prevent my phone from being opened using my fingerprint, even in urgent situations, without completely disabling biometric authentication? Thanks in advance.

  • Jack_BurtonEnglish
    6·
    2 days ago

    The simplest solution right now is to use a pin code instead (this would just be for your phone unlock, you can still use bio for app locks). It’s inconvenient at first but you’ll get used to it. After that, you can look into changing the OS if you want more privacy, if you can unlock the bootloader. Lineage is a good choice, and it looks like e/os is available for some Samsung phones. There’s already been a recommendation for GrapheneOS but that’s only available for Google Pixels for now.

    I’d recommend starting slow if you’re willing to wait. Switch to a pin lock, try out FOSS alternatives with fdroid, start looking into alternatives for major accounts like Google, etc. It’s a lot and easy to get overwhelmed if you go all in at once. I spent 4 years switching everything over to FOSS and privacy focused options. The best time to start was yesterday, the second best time is today.