Biometric Sign-In & Authentication Security Features

At a glance

Face ID, Touch ID, and Fingerprint ID are common biometric authentication methods available on many phones and other electronic devices.

Using biometric sign-in on your devices adds an important layer of security for your personal information and accounts.

At T-Mobile, we encourage you to enable biometric authentication on your devices and to use this safety feature every time you access your apps and online accounts.

What is biometric technology?

Today, most new smartphones, tablets, laptops, watches, and desktop computers are equipped with technology that can recognize you in an instant. They use built-in digital sensors, cameras, fingerprint scanners, and microphones to collect physical or biological information about you. These representations of your unique characteristics are sometimes called biometric identifiers.

Here are the most common types of on-device biometric authentication:

Face ID

Facial recognition software analyzes your features to create a fool-proof, mathematical map of your face.

Touch or Fingerprint ID

Scans of your fingerprint or palm are collected to develop an unmistakable replica of your skin’s lines, ridges, loops, whorls, and arches.

Voice ID

Voice recognition technology captures the sound of your voice, as well as the way you speak, so only you can tell your virtual assistant what to do.

Person signing into phone with Fingerprint ID.

Benefits of on-device biometric authentication

Face, Touch, and Fingerprint ID let you sign into your devices or log into your online accounts and apps. These on-device biometric authentication methods help safeguard the information stored on your devices, in your apps, and online accounts. For example, if you like to use mobile banking, you’ll find that many financial institutions now require some form of biometric verification in addition to a password or PIN. 

Here are three reasons we encourage you to enable biometric sign-in on your devices and with your online accounts:

Security

If you want to prevent others from accessing your device and its contents, on-device biometric authentication offers the highest level of protection. Face ID, Touch ID, and Fingerprint ID are far more secure than passwords. Here’s why:

Your physical features are unique to you.
Your face or fingerprint data can’t be shared.
Scans of your face and fingerprints are converted into a unique mathematical representation that’s stored locally on your device.
This mathematical representation of your biometric data can’t be stolen, copied, or converted back into a scan of your face or fingerprints.

Convenience

Once you’ve enabled biometric authentication on your device, you can instantly unlock your phone, sign in to your apps and online accounts, and even authenticate purchases. It’s as easy as posing for a selfie or touching a sensor with your fingertip.

No more memorizing multiple passwords.
No more forgotten passwords.
No more searching for misplaced passwords.
No more mistyping a password.

Privacy

The biometric data you use for authentication purposes remains stored on your device.

How to enable on-device biometric authentication

It’s easy to get started on your devices and in your T-Mobile app.

At a glance