Samsung patent envisions palm scanning for remembering forgotten passwords

Samsung is proud for having the highest number of security features on its latest flagships, offering no less than five different methods (iris, facial recognition, fingerprint, pattern, and pin) for keeping the device locked and protected. Samsung also seems to be working on ways to ensure those who use a password for their device and tend to forget it can easily get a hint for what their password might be, or at least that’s what a patent application by the company suggests.

Palm scanning for more than just telling your future

Everyone knows a person’s palm can have a myriad of lines that differ for each individual, and while palm readers might be using these for foretelling your future, Samsung thinks it can be used to help users remember their password by hiding the hint in those scattered palm lines. This isn’t a method for unlocking similar to iris or fingerprint scanning; instead, Samsung wants to use palm scanning to ensure that the user requesting for the password hint is the owner of the device.

According to the patent, the front camera is used for taking a picture of the palm, which means it’s not a totally secure method despite how unique your palm lines might be. But, unlike photos of your face, someone taking a picture of you holding out your palm would be somewhat rare. Plus, the patent suggests that the password hint won’t be simply displayed on the screen, but scattered across the lines in a haphazard manner. That would make it harder for someone just glancing at your phone to see what’s being displayed, while being simple enough for your mind to suddenly light up and recall that forgotten password.

Of course, there’s no telling whether palm scanning, in either this form or something different, will ever see the light of day. Samsung’s focus is probably on 3D face scanning at the moment so it can take on the iPhone X (and any future iPhones with FaceID). But then again, the palm scanning might not take a lot of work to implement, so it may just end up on the company’s phones at some point in time.

What’s your take on Samsung’s implementation for remembering passwords using a scan of the user’s palm?

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