With technology rapidly advancing and manual activity becoming a thing of the past, one day you may be able to unlock your iPhone just by looking at it. Apple, Inc. was recently awarded a patent called "Personal computing device control using face detection and recognition." This would simply allow the user of the phone to look at the phone and it would unlock. Instead of using your hands to type in your password, your face would serve as your password.
In order for this to be successful, the technology would scan the individuals face in order to record all of its unique features, such as skin texture, skin color, size, and shape of various facial features. Also, if you would like other individuals to have access to your phone, they can complete the same process that would allow them to have a password as well.
For example, if you were to receive a phone call, your phone would scan your face to make sure it is the face of an authorized user. If it is, the call will go through as normal, but if not, the iPhone will remain locked. The same security will apply for incoming e-mails. Looking at the iPhone would alert you to and display an e-mail. An unauthorized user would prevent the e-mail alert and hide or block the message.
While Apple thinks it will work the best on the iPhone they are also looking into other avenues as well, including TV’s and computers. Apple used as an example a PC's screensaver reacting to your face rather than to a preset period of inactivity. While Apple does have an approved patent, there is a lot of work to be done. So for now we just have to stick with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5S.
