Poll: How would you prefer to unlock your Android smartphone?

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Fingerprint
(Image credit: Android Central)

Over the years, smartphone security has evolved to include more intricate ways to unlock your phone. Passcodes turned into fingerprint sensors, which eventually moved from your phone chassis to your display, and now there are different forms of face unlock.

With so many different iterations out there, we want to know what you prefer to use.

Fingerprint sensors have come in many different shapes and forms over the years. They were largely relegated to the front of smartphones for some time before phones started moving them to different spots. Sony Xperia phones tend to stick them on the side of the phone, while devices like the LG G5 started putting them on the back. This was arguably a better position since it rested roughly where your index finger would go, but not everyone cozied up to it.

Some phones even offered iris scanners, like the Microsoft Lumia 950 or the Galaxy S9 series, although smartphones have largely abandoned the feature.

Then the best Android phones began putting fingerprint sensors into the display. It's arguably a more aesthetically pleasing option, so OEMs don't have to worry about altering the chassis to accommodate it. However, owners of some Android devices tend to find them slow. The Pixel 6 series is among the biggest culprits, with users complaining about the delay, to the point that Google had to explain that it's due to the enhanced security.

At the same time, many users have been asking for face unlock on the Pixel 6 series. Many smartphones can do it, although it's not nearly as secure as other methods and can often be fooled by a photograph. Still, it's rumored that face unlock may still be in the works for the new Pixels. Meanwhile, phones like the iPhone 13 or the 2019 LG G8 offered more secure options for face unlock, particularly with Face ID, but it has yet to really take off in Android phones.

Drop a comment on our Twitter and Facebook pages and let us know what your preferred unlocking method is.


Derrek Lee
News Editor

Derrek is a long-time Nokia and LG fanboy who loves astronomy, videography, and sci-fi movies. When he's not working, he's most likely working out or smoldering at the camera.