In 2013, Apple introduced another feature to iPhones, dubbed Activation Lock, which prevents unauthorized users from using the device even if it is wiped and restored. The latest Apple patent reveals Touch ID learning a new trick – recognizing a specific fingerprint to put an iPhone into “panic mode” and automatically locking it down.
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The iPhone 6s also comes with a better camera and has the ability to record 4K video and take what Apple calls Live Photos, which are essentially short animated GIFs of every photo that you take.
If the security of an iPhone owner threatens, requiring he unlocks these devices the attribute might can be found in practical.
As you can see in the graphic that Apple included in the patent description, the new keyboards would come with a specific force sensor at the bottom of each key to determine the pressure that users create when pressing a button.
For example, users could set their thumb to unlock their phone, and then assign their pointer finger to activate the panic mode. Presently, Apple’s fingerprint system only allows user to unlock their device, and authenticate purchase. Apple now lets you register five fingerprints to unlock the device, so it could allow one of these to be used for the panic mode. It’s way too early to tell, but speculation surrounding the upcoming iPhone 7 point to an advanced Touch ID feature.
The reason behind such a function, the patent explained, is phones’ increasing value to prospective thieves, in terms of personal data and resale value of the handset itself. The patent describes a panic button that can be activated quickly with the press of the user’s fingerprint on the Touch ID sensor.
Apple now providers its customers to wipe their iOS devices remotely if they’re lost or stolen through its Find My iPhone function, accessed through iCloud. The company has recently filed a patent application that, if implemented, promises to take things to the next level.
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Similarly as with every other patent, the new panic mode is a long way from reality and may not even make it into a future.
