Apple will launch an Emergency SOS feature in the iOS 11 that not only gives users a quick way to call 911 but also disables the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system of their iPhone.
The iOS 11 security feature will prevent the user from being forced to unlock their iPhone using their fingerprint, a capability that will become more important once the iPhone 8 arrives.
iOS 11 Emergency SOS Feature Disables Touch ID
In the latest iOS 11 public beta, testers can turn on the Emergency SOS feature through the iPhone's settings. Once activated, users can press the lock/power button five times quickly to bring up an option to automatically call 911.
However, bringing up the option to call 911 is not the only thing that the Emergency SOS feature is capable of, as activating it will also disable Touch ID on the iPhone.
Currently, the only ways to disable Touch ID on an iPhone were to either restart it, wait for a few days, force it to lock by using the wrong fingers, or disable the feature in the device's settings. The new method presented by the iOS 11 Emergency SOS feature is both quicker and more discreet.
Why Would You Want To Disable Touch ID?
The capability of the Emergency SOS feature to disable Touch ID will come into play in situations when the user does not want to be forced to unlock his or her iPhone through their fingerprint.
These situations may be limited, but the feature will prevent other people from easily accessing their iPhone by pressing their finger on the device. It could be a robbery, with the thief looking to acquire sensitive information stored in an iPhone, or an arrest, protecting the user from unwarranted access to the contents of their device.
iOS 11 Emergency SOS Feature Preparing For Face ID?
The function of the Emergency SOS feature to disable Touch ID will likely also be expended to disable Face ID, if the rumors that the facial recognition technology are coming to the iPhone 8 turn out to be true.
While Face ID can provide greater convenience to users, it might lead to greater security risks. Instead of having to press the owner's finger on an iPhone to forcefully unlock it, the unauthorized user can simply hold it up to his or her face. As such, the Emergency SOS feature will also likely disable Face ID, leaving the passcode as the only option to access the iPhone.
