Skip to main content

EyeVerify developing an eye-scanning unlock tool for your phone

14036251-laser-scanning-eye-close-up
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’re constantly looking for ways to secure our devices. Nowadays, the most common is the alpha-numeric password protection. Some devices have introduced biometric fingerprint scanning, and we may be seeing more of that in the future. Coming up next, reports Gadget Review, will be eye scanning.

Developed by EyeVerify and introduced at the Mobile World Congress, Eyeprint is an application the company is currently working on; once ready, it will use a mobile device’s camera to snap a photo of the user’s eye, only unlocking the phone after verifying that the veins of the eye belong to the owner.

While some skeptics may wonder how accurate eye vein biometrics are, particularly when compared to a person’s fingerprint, the company assures that they’re just as accurate.

According to EyeVerify’s website, scanning one’s eye (or, as they call it, eyeprinting) takes four simple steps:

  1. Hold the phone anywhere from 6-12 inches away from the user’s eye.
  2. The user looks to the left or to the right, but not directly at the camera.
  3. The phone alerts the user when the scan is complete by vibrating.
  4. Total processing of the image is complete in less than one second.

The application isn’t quite ready for the market just yet, but the company assures that it’s close to finishing it and releasing to the public. No word yet on what the pricing may be.

It’s hard to say who EyeVerify is likely to target the product toward. We can imagine that the average user would find it much easier to just press a thumb down on the screen rather than to snap a photo of their eye each time they want to use their phone, particularly because so many of us are constantly locking and unlocking our phones, so it could prove to be a bit of a pain.

Editors' Recommendations

Joshua Pramis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Spending a childhood engrossed in such technologically inspiring television shows like Voltron, Small Wonder, and Power…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
Visible wireless phones and plans featured

Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

Read more
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

Read more
Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

Read more