Biometrics: One Small Step Into the Star Trek Universe… and One Giant Pain in the Finger
Have any of your accounts started nudging you—sometimes not so subtly—to “upgrade” to biometric login? I swear, every time I turn around someone wants my fingerprint. Banks, pharmacies, apps I barely use… everyone’s suddenly obsessed with my thumb.
So I finally caved and put it on my cell phone.
Big mistake. Huge.
wish my phone had the use password option- It doesn’t
My fingerprint reader works about half the time on a good day. If my finger is dry? Forget it. If I’ve washed my hands? Nope. If the wind is blowing from the east and Mercury is in retrograde? Absolutely not.
I’ve even resorted to wetting my finger—either in the sink or, yes, I admit it, the old “lick and pray” method. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. After five failed attempts, I’m locked out anyway and have to type in my password. So what exactly is the point?
And here’s the kicker: my phone doesn’t like when I try to bypass the fingerprint and just sign in normally. It refuses to open the password screen, as if to say, “No no, we’re doing biometrics today.”
Then it sends me helpful little messages like:
“Having trouble logging in? Try wetting your finger!”
Why should I need pep talks from my phone? This should just work. Until it does, I’m not putting biometrics on any other device or account. I’m not risking locking myself out of my bank because my finger is having a dry day.
And while we’re ranting… let’s talk about two-step verification.
My bank requires a special code every single time I log in. Not occasionally. Not randomly. Every. Time.
I enter my password, and up pops a cheerful message telling me they’re sending a code. Now I get to choose: email or text. It’s like a security-themed choose-your-own-adventure.
I was logging into my photography site the other day to update my payment method, and they hit me with the “we’ll send you a code” routine too. Fine. But then they did it again. And again. After every step. It took forever to get anything done.
Look, I understand hacking is a real problem. If someone broke into my bank account, I’d be upset—assuming they could find anything worth stealing. But surely there has to be a way to streamline all this. I’m not convinced the current system is helping as much as they think it is.
What About You?
So tell me — am I the only one fighting with my own technology like it’s a stubborn toddler? Do your biometrics behave, or are you also stuck licking your finger in public like a confused raccoon? Drop your stories in the comments. Misery loves company, and I’m ready to hear your best “locked out again” tales.
Closing
Until the tech world figures out how to recognize a perfectly normal human finger, I’ll be over here typing passwords the old-fashioned way and dreaming of a future where logging in doesn’t feel like a full-contact sport.
I have never used the finger log in. However, I always type in my password and they still send me a code so I can open whatever I need to open. Therefore I guess it doesn’t matter if you try to use your finger or type in your password you will have a code sent to you.
Oh the modern technology.
I don’t remember exactly why I broke down and set it up. Its only on my phone Thank Goodness! I wouldn’t mind it if it let me override but sometimes I try the finger until I’m locked out then I try to swipe to get to the log in screen and it won’t swipe . I never used to lock my phone at all and now it relocks every couple of minutes. I understand the reason for the security. Hackers are everywhere but it is annoying and I needed to vent!
That is ok about venting. Heck I vent alot but I am the only one here to vent to. LOL The worse thing about this code thing is when they notify me by cell phone that my mail order meds are ready to be sent. They ask me if it is ok to send them. I say yes and then the fun begins so they know it is me. OH Joy. Glad I only have one med that I get by mail.
I’ve been having my “fun” with Caremark Mail order too. They wanted me to pay a co pay of $335.00 for one of my meds. I told them they had to wait until I got my SS check because I’d just paid them almost $400 in January. They got really nasty. Anyway I found out Medicare offers a payment plan so I signed up. When I called back they quoted me a co pay of only $140.00 and it goes to Medicare to be paid. Medicare will bill me and spread the payments out over the whole year is I want that. I can pay it off sooner if I want to do that too. What really bugs me is the different copay quotes I got for the same medication. Something is screwy. On another med they said I wasn’t approved for it this year and to call my Doctor. I have an appointment coming up so I was just going to ask then but then I got the prescription in the mail. Co-pay $38.00. How can anyone budget for their meds when no one seems to know what’s what