Unlock Windows With Android Fingerprint With This New App.
I ditched my Thinkpad some time ago in favor of a newer and faster laptop. While I wouldn’t want to go back to my previous computer, I am missing one feature on my ThinkPad – the fingerprint sensor. It was a little feature that I depended on so much that I almost forgot my Windows password.
There are several applications (such as MacID) to unlock Macbook from iPhone using Touch ID, proximity, or other gesture. And they all work flawlessly. Yes, the same is true for Windows and Android, but the process has never been as robust as Apple’s ecosystem.
For a long time I was looking for a reliable way to unlock my Windows PC without a password, I even thought to order a USB biometric module, but I gave it up because I don’t like these keys and wires. I wanted something fast and wireless.
Thanks to XDA user Andrew-X, if you have an Android device with a fingerprint reader (which most smartphones have these days), you can use it to unlock Windows 10. I had to test it out and surprisingly it works very well. Let’s install it on our computers.
Read Also: How To Watch HBO Outside The US Now
How it works?
This is a simple script that runs on your computer, and when you authenticate your finger with the smartphone’s fingerprint sensor, it sends a data packet containing your Windows credentials to a script that runs on Windows. All you need is your Windows PC and Android connected to the same Wi-Fi network. I have done extensive testing of the application and it works great. This is not the fastest way to unlock your computer, but it is quite effective.
Unlock Windows with Android fingerprint
First of all, you need a computer running Windows Vista or later and an Android device with a fingerprint sensor running Android 6 or later.
Set up Windows
Install the Windows Credential Module on your computer by selecting the appropriate version. The Windows Credential Module is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, so select the appropriate option.
When installing the module, it will ask you to provide an exception in the firewall, which will allow the module to receive the data packet while being blocked in the system. After granting permission, the installation will complete and it will run in the background without any messages.
To check if it is installed correctly, lock your computer by pressing Win + L. You will see a new account in the lower left corner named “Fingerprint Unlock”. If you see this, the script is running and you are halfway through the process.
Set up Android
Now we need to install the app on Android device, you can click on this link to download it on your smartphone. First, you need to find the computers that are running the Credential Module. You must keep the devices on the same network for easier discovery. Select a device to add credentials. You can add multiple credentials for multiple users to a computer. You can even add multiple computers to the app to unlock them from your smartphone. When adding credentials, it will ask you to confirm it with your fingerprint. The credentials must be correct or it won’t work and you will have a hard time figuring out why it doesn’t work.
Once everything is done, you can unlock your computer by launching an app on your phone and pressing your fingerprint long enough for it to register your fingerprint. It should unlock your Windows pretty quickly.
Unlock Windows with Android fingerprint
This method is a quick way to unlock your computer from your smartphone, but in my opinion it is not the safest option. You should use this method for your day to day use if you don’t have a lot of sensitive information stored on your computer. One more thing I noticed during testing. It is really hard to remove your credentials from the app. It might just be a mistake. Let us know if you like this method of unlocking your Windows computer in the comments below.
Read: How to change the country in the app store on iOS12 / 11