Fingerprint scanners are now a standard presence in many upscale smartphones in the market. The same technology is also found in the premium iPhones from Apple. However, in its case, the company calls it the Touch Id. It has been an important feature in iPhones since it debuted in the iPhone 5s launched in September 2013.
Apple is set to launch its iOS 11 operating system with the next-gen iPhones, which will bring a lot of new features to these handsets. Fans have been trying to find the estimated features of the upcoming operating system and some leaks have also emerged about the OS.
According to The Verge, a new functionality of the iOS 11, pertaining to the Touch ID sensor, has been discovered in the Public Beta version.
What is the new technology?
Through this feature, Apple will allow users to quickly disable the fingerprint sensor unlocking functionality. This can be done in an emergency when the user feels that someone may force them to unlock the handset. Switching on this feature will let them protect their valuable data as the handsets cannot be unlocked without a prior set security code.
To engage this feature, all the user has to do is press the power button on the device five times in quick succession. This is normally a functionality which is reserved for dialing 911.
In iOS 11, after pressing the button five times, the handset will give the operator the option to dial 911 and will at the same time allow them to disable the Touch ID feature on the handset, until such time as the user enables the functionality manually.
Previously if a user wanted to disable fingerprint sensor in such a way, they would first have to restart the handset.
Then they would have to wait for a few days for the iPhone to initiate verification and ask the user to unlock the phone with the fingerprint. Users would then have to place the wrong finger on the scanner for quite a few times until the device locked out. The new feature in iOS 11 will ensure that the users can disable the Touch ID immediately upon emergency.
Why would it be useful?
The feature will prevent someone to forcefully use the owner’s fingerprint to open the device. With many important aspects being stored in the smartphones these days, like banking details and social security numbers, it becomes absolutely crucial to protect the device at all costs. With the disabling of the Touch ID, there is no actual visual cue which shows that the functionality has been removed. All iOS 11 handsets will be able to make use of this feature.
