341
this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2026
341 points (100.0% liked)
Privacy
5041 readers
370 users here now
Welcome! This is a community for all those who are interested in protecting their privacy.
Rules
PS: Don't be a smartass and try to game the system, we'll know if you're breaking the rules when we see it!
- Be civil and no prejudice
- Don't promote big-tech software
- No apathy and defeatism for privacy (i.e. "They already have my data, why bother?")
- No reposting of news that was already posted
- No crypto, blockchain, NFTs
- No Xitter links (if absolutely necessary, use xcancel)
Related communities:
Some of these are only vaguely related, but great communities.
- !opensource@programming.dev
- !selfhosting@slrpnk.net / !selfhosted@lemmy.world
- !piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
- !drm@lemmy.dbzer0.com
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Six presses on the power button and iPhones disable biometrics. I believe for most threat models, biometrics is better than typing a passcode, between the hotspots of fingerprints and shoulder surfing risk. Lock out biometrics before sleeping or other leaving unattended scenarios if raids are a risk
Not sure about the laptops; probably best to do a password there.
turning the phone off also disables the biometrics if you turn it on again, it requires whatever lockout method you used previously
Biometrics are an issue because in most jurisdictions (not just the US but globally), you can't be coerced to provide your password/passcode - but absolutely nothing stops LE from forcing you to provide biometric data to unlock the device.
That’s the point of the biometric lockout. Most people are not in a situation where they can be compelled at any second to unlock their device; however if they’re pulled over or on community patrol, they can press six times and it disables the biometrics.
Just tested it and can confirm it works. For those that don't have their phone handy or are worried about trying it:
Just to clarify and expand a bit: It’s 5 presses not 6, and you can do it in your pocket because it gives you a haptic feedback signal when it works, of a quick vibration in a unique pattern.
It’ll also trigger a call to 911, which is gonna be hard to disable in your pocket
Edit: this is configurable behavior
No it doesn’t. It just locks the screen and requires passcode. It’s the same thing that happens if you hold power and volume to bring up the emergency call or power off screen.
I just tested on my iPhone and it does. Guessing it’s a setting.
… and after checking it is indeed a setting. Not sure if I turned that on or if it was on by default.
Which setting is it?
Emergency SOS, few different settings in there that change the behaviour
It did for a hot minute. I just checked and it no longer does.
It depends on what your risk profile looks like. Sure, from a generalized risk standpoint punching in a number is vulnerable to physical snooping, but for folks who live in police states the greater risk is your information being accessed by people who physically have you in custody and can physically force you to use your biometrics to unlock a device.
If ICE is close enough to you to shoulder surf you, they are close enough to manhandle you, shove you and """assist""" you into touching your privates (aka biometrics).
That would fall under the scenarios in which you should have your phone locked out.
Tried this on my pixel and it opened the emergency call menu.
On pixel it's double tap the home screen.