Mobile Passport gets updated with fingerprint authentication, PHX airport support, and more

May 15, 2017, 9:51 pm

≫ Next: Android O feature spotlight: The notification shade fingerprint swipe gesture now matches device orientation

Fingerprint sensors are on so many smartphones these days, and for good reason: they're quick and secure. For those reasons, they can also be used as extra security for apps that have private information such as PayPal and many banking apps. The rather nifty Mobile Passport app is the latest app to add this functionality, along with support for Phoenix's Sky Harbor airport and a few other things.

Unless you fly in and out of Phoenix all the time, you'll probably find the fingerprint authentication the most useful part of this update.

Mobile Passport gets updated with fingerprint authentication, PHX airport support, and more was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Android O feature spotlight: The notification shade fingerprint swipe gesture now matches device orientation

May 22, 2017, 6:42 am

≫ Next: The ‘Swipe for notifications’ gesture now matches device orientation for Nexuses running Android O

≪ Previous: Mobile Passport gets updated with fingerprint authentication, PHX airport support, and more

Since the Pixel was released last year it's been possible to swipe down on the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor to pull down the notification shade. Those who use the feature may have noticed that while holding your phone in landscape you would need to swipe horizontally to bring down the notifications, which seemed counterintuitive. The release of the second developer preview for Android O (DP2) changes this, and you can now logically swipe down from whichever side of the device is currently the top, depending on how you're holding it.

Android O feature spotlight: The notification shade fingerprint swipe gesture now matches device orientation was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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The ‘Swipe for notifications’ gesture now matches device orientation for Nexuses running Android O

May 22, 2017, 10:25 am

≫ Next: Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown]

≪ Previous: Android O feature spotlight: The notification shade fingerprint swipe gesture now matches device orientation

Update 1: 2017/05/22 11:10am PDT
We originally included the Pixel and Pixel XL in this report, but later learned that this feature had been working correctly for those devices all along.

Since the release of the Pixel last year it's been possible to swipe down on the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor to pull down the notification shade. It took a while, but the feature eventually came to to the Nexus 5X, and finally the 6P.

The 'Swipe for notifications' gesture now matches device orientation for Nexuses running Android O was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown]

June 14, 2017, 1:41 pm

≫ Next: Evernote’s latest beta adds fingerprint support

≪ Previous: The ‘Swipe for notifications’ gesture now matches device orientation for Nexuses running Android O

While Android Pay may have stolen the thunder in terms of Google's various methods of moving money from one party to another, Wallet is still up and running for those times when you've just got to move a few bucks between friends. The latest update looks basically identical to the last few versions, but a teardown of the app shows there are going to be a few changes to the security model that should reduce a little bit of friction and make the app much more convenient than it was in the past.

Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Evernote’s latest beta adds fingerprint support

June 22, 2017, 1:43 pm

≫ Next: [Update: It’s Live] Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown]

≪ Previous: Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown]

Fingerprint sensors are rapidly becoming essential features on phones. It isn't just high-end flagships that ship with one these days. Even mid-range devices like the Moto G have them now. So, it comes as no surprise that more and more apps are integrating the feature, too. The 7.12 Evernote beta, which adds fingerprint unlock support, is just one of the more recent examples.

A fingerprint is no replacement for a password since it can't really be changed, but it is a convenient means of basic security.

Evernote's latest beta adds fingerprint support was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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[Update: It’s Live] Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown]

June 23, 2017, 1:20 pm

≫ Next: Starbucks for Android now has fingerprint support

≪ Previous: Evernote’s latest beta adds fingerprint support

Update 1: 2017/06/23 1:28pm PDT
Google Account PIN and Fingerprint support are now live

[Update: It's Live] Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Starbucks for Android now has fingerprint support

August 3, 2017, 8:14 pm

≫ Next: OneNote adds fingerprint security and the ability to create password protected sections

≪ Previous: [Update: It’s Live] Google Wallet v20 is getting ready to add fingerprint support and replace its own PIN codes with Google Account PIN [APK Teardown]

Those that frequent the land of French roasts and baristas to get their caffeine fix can now save a few extra seconds each day. The Starbucks app for Android was just updated, and among the recent changes is fingerprint support. So the next time you log in or reload your balance, it could be as easy as a single tap.

There are also a few other small changes in the new update.

Starbucks for Android now has fingerprint support was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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OneNote adds fingerprint security and the ability to create password protected sections

October 17, 2017, 12:33 pm

≫ Next: Mercedes adds fingerprint support to its otherwise-terrible app

≪ Previous: Starbucks for Android now has fingerprint support

Microsoft's services can be hit or miss, but when it comes to OneNote, it's most certainly a hit. The note-taking application has been, quite deservedly, at the top of most productivity lists for a long time. And a recent update to the Android app has made it even easier to keep your notes secure, too. Now you can add passwords and use your fingerprint to unlock sections.

The section protection and password setup process

It's worth noting (ha) that OneNote received the ability to open password-protected sections in an earlier update, but now you can also create them from your phone.

OneNote adds fingerprint security and the ability to create password protected sections was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Mercedes adds fingerprint support to its otherwise-terrible app

October 22, 2017, 11:18 am

≫ Next: Android 8.1 may have made the Pixel 2 XL’s fingerprint unlock slower for some

≪ Previous: OneNote adds fingerprint security and the ability to create password protected sections

If you have a recent Mercedes-Benz, you may have used the 'Mercedes me' app. It allows you to manage your car remotely, including starting the engine (2016 models or newer) and locking/unlocking the doors. The app currently has an average rating of 2.1 stars on the Play store, with the vast majority of reviews being one star.

While I can't say for certain if the app's basic functionality has improved at all (I don't own a Benz), Mercedes has quietly added an important feature - fingerprint support.

Mercedes adds fingerprint support to its otherwise-terrible app was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Android 8.1 may have made the Pixel 2 XL’s fingerprint unlock slower for some

December 15, 2017, 3:17 pm

≫ Next: Magisk updated with fingerprint security option for root requests

≪ Previous: Mercedes adds fingerprint support to its otherwise-terrible app

Have you noticed that it takes just a bit longer to unlock your Pixel 2 XL when you use the fingerprint reader? If so, you aren't alone. In the last few weeks since the update, there have been multiple reports that the Pixel 2 XL takes about a second longer to unlock the device when using the fingerprint reader. The good news is that Google is looking into it.

Fingerprint unlock in slow motion on Android 8.1 (left) and 8.0 (right)

Thankfully it isn't a very severe problem, as the only disadvantage is the extra bit of time it takes to use your phone, but compared to the nearly-instantaneous unlocking the Pixel 2 XL previously had, it is a bit unfortunate.

Android 8.1 may have made the Pixel 2 XL's fingerprint unlock slower for some was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Magisk updated with fingerprint security option for root requests

January 11, 2018, 5:18 pm

≫ Next: Newton Mail update adds fingerprint support and image optimization

≪ Previous: Android 8.1 may have made the Pixel 2 XL’s fingerprint unlock slower for some

Magisk is probably one of the most well-known and widely used root solutions these days, made famous for its root-detection mitigation strategies. Now both Magisk and the accompanying Magisk Manager have been updated to v15.3 and v5.4.4, respectively, this time bringing the convenience of fingerprint authorization to the dialog which grants root access.

Find the highlights yourself 😏 pic.twitter.com/4UCROlND0c

— John Wu (@topjohnwu) January 11, 2018

The new versions are v15.3 (Magisk) and v5.4.4 (Magisk Manager), and changelogs for each are included just below:

[/note]

Magisk

v15.3
- [Daemon] Fix the bug that only one script would be executed in post-fs-data.d/service.d
- [Daemon] Add MS_SILENT flag when mounting, should fix some devices that cannot mount magisk.img
- [MagiskBoot] Fix potential segmentation fault when patching ramdisk, should fix some installation failures

Magisk Manager
v5.4.4
- Fix dtbo on-boot detection, should follow configured dtbo patching behavior on Pixel 2 devices
- Add fingerprint authentication for Superuser requests

[/note]

Both changelogs are pretty light this time around.

Magisk updated with fingerprint security option for root requests was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Newton Mail update adds fingerprint support and image optimization

February 9, 2018, 2:19 pm

≫ Next: Southwest Airlines app adds fingerprint authentication and more

≪ Previous: Magisk updated with fingerprint security option for root requests

Newton Mail is an app that we cover from time to time here on AP. Formerly known as CloudMagic, the paid email app is reasonably popular with corporate users thanks to its multiple commercial and CRM integrations. It received a bump to v9.8.187, which adds fingerprint support to secure your emails.

The changelog is as follows:

Secure your emails with fingerprint unlock: Go to Settings > General > Passcode to enable it.

Newton Mail update adds fingerprint support and image optimization was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Southwest Airlines app adds fingerprint authentication and more

March 15, 2018, 8:00 am

≫ Next: XFINITY Stream app gets fingerprint support for parental controls

≪ Previous: Newton Mail update adds fingerprint support and image optimization

Southwest Airlines doesn't often push major changes to its Android app, with the last one being a redesign from back in November 2016. But this latest update adds fingerprint authentication, which makes logging into secure apps a lot less of a pain. It's kind of a late addition, but at least it's here now.

Here's the changelog:

WHAT'S NEW

Fingerprint is here! Log-in to the Southwest app with just a tap of your favorite Fingerprint!

Southwest Airlines app adds fingerprint authentication and more was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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XFINITY Stream app gets fingerprint support for parental controls

March 18, 2018, 7:30 am

≫ Next: Amazon adds fingerprint support to its Key app

≪ Previous: Southwest Airlines app adds fingerprint authentication and more

Comcast's switch from XFINITY TV to XFINITY Stream about a year ago was met with lots of criticism for a number of reasons, and based on the latest Google Store reviews, users still aren't very happy. But here's something that might cheer you up: fingerprint authentication has been added for parental controls.

WHAT'S NEW

Gain faster, easier access to your Parental Controls by using fingerprint authentication instead of a PIN.
We’ve worked out a few code improvements and fixed some bugs to enhance your overall experience.

XFINITY Stream app gets fingerprint support for parental controls was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Amazon adds fingerprint support to its Key app

March 20, 2018, 6:30 am

≫ Next: Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary

≪ Previous: XFINITY Stream app gets fingerprint support for parental controls

Amazon's Key in-home delivery service was announced last October and its cameras and smart door locks became available in November. Since then, Amazon has been able to use Key to place your purchases inside your doorstep by asking you to grant its delivery staff access to your house and letting you monitor everything via camera. Now the Key app is getting one small but important update: fingerprint authentication.

Since Key essentially controls your smart door lock, leaving the app unprotected isn't a very good idea.

Amazon adds fingerprint support to its Key app was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary

April 10, 2018, 10:15 am

≫ Next: Samsung hit with lawsuit of up to $2.8 billion for infringing on biometric-related patents

≪ Previous: Amazon adds fingerprint support to its Key app

Passwords are kind of a pain. You probably have sign-in credentials for about a million services, and ideally, they're all different. Password managers can help, but they're often finicky. A new standard by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) called Web Authentication API could simplify your digital life by allowing for password-free sign-ins across a wide variety of websites.

Instead of entering a password, users use their phone's registered unlock method, be it PIN, pattern, or fingerprint.

Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Samsung hit with lawsuit of up to $2.8 billion for infringing on biometric-related patents

April 12, 2018, 10:21 pm

≫ Next: Google Photos v3.20 prepares to launch suggested actions and may hint at locking photos with a fingerprint [APK Teardown]

≪ Previous: Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary

With their fingerprint sensors, iris scanners, and facial recognition tech, Samsung phones feature more methods of biometric authentication than most, if not all, of their competitors. However, the Korean company is now being sued by a US-based "data security firm," PACid Technologies, for infringing on two US patents and one Korean patent with its biometric features.

The lawsuit, filed on April 6th with the Texas Eastern District Court, comprises phones from the Galaxy S6 all the way to the Galaxy S8.

Samsung hit with lawsuit of up to $2.8 billion for infringing on biometric-related patents was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Google Photos v3.20 prepares to launch suggested actions and may hint at locking photos with a fingerprint [APK Teardown]

May 9, 2018, 3:48 pm

≫ Next: [Update: Rolling out in Chrome 67 on desktop now] Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary

≪ Previous: Samsung hit with lawsuit of up to $2.8 billion for infringing on biometric-related patents

While new information keeps rolling out of Google I/O, some of the recently announced things are creeping out in various forms. After the keynote, we've been expecting some enhancements to Google Photos, and the latest update contains new text that makes it look pretty likely that we'll be getting them soon. There's also a subtle clue that may suggest we'll soon to lock up some of our photos or albums and access them with a fingerprint.

Google Photos v3.20 prepares to launch suggested actions and may hint at locking photos with a fingerprint [APK Teardown] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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[Update: Rolling out in Chrome 67 on desktop now] Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary

May 30, 2018, 6:25 pm

≫ Next: Microsoft OneDrive v5.14 adds fingerprint authentication [APK Download]

≪ Previous: Google Photos v3.20 prepares to launch suggested actions and may hint at locking photos with a fingerprint [APK Teardown]

Update 1: 2018/05/30 6:34pm PDT
As reported by ZDNet, the Web Authentication API is rolling out in Chrome 67 on desktop now.

[Update: Rolling out in Chrome 67 on desktop now] Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Microsoft OneDrive v5.14 adds fingerprint authentication [APK Download]

July 26, 2018, 8:34 pm

≫ Next: Chrome 70 adds fingerprint login support for Web Authentication, enables TLS 1.3, and more [APK Download]

≪ Previous: [Update: Rolling out in Chrome 67 on desktop now] Web Authentication API aims to make passwords unnecessary

Given that fingerprint sensors have been on almost every non-budget phone for several years now, it's no surprise that a vast majority of secure apps offer fingerprint authentication. After all, who wants to type out a bunch of characters when you could just touch the back of your phone? Microsoft's OneDrive app is the latest to join the club, and we've got the APK if you need it.

WHAT'S NEW