Are thumbprint and facial recognition security features really secure?

[IcyPeas]

I think it's a great feature. My brain believes it's secure but my gut doesn't want to trust it. I'm wary.

Is it better just to use a PIN for lock screen? I feel like I can trust that method.

Is it just because it's new (to me anyway).

[SheltieLover]

1. I won't use those features

I read an article some time ago saying that the fingerprint feature can be pretty easily hacked. Something about it being stored in chunks of data.

Best bet: trust your gut. Always!

[Hoyt]

2. Yeah, but frustrated hackers could cut off your thumb to get in.

[BootinUp]

3. Not a definitive answer because

I haven't been following the tech, but I am pretty sure that within the last 5 years I have read about some study or test that demonstrated biometrics on consumer devices still has a ways to go to achieve security/reliability I would consider sufficient.

[Tetrachloride]

4. i won't do financial transactions on phone except for iphone apps

browsing and email is the extent of my phone life normally.

until this week, i didn’t use thumbprint.

[ManiacJoe]

5. Depends on the level of security you are looking for.

The biometrics are good at keeping family members out of your phone.
Obviously, face detection has problems distinguishing between identical twins and the like.
Biometrics do not require you do be conscious for them to work.
Not sure how much hacking is required to exploit bad implementations by the manufacturers.

Legally, law enforcement can force you do unlock your phone using biometrics with or without your consent. A PIN or password cannot be legally forced.

5-6 digit PINs work extremely well when well chosen.

[IcyPeas]

6. I did not know this:

Legally, law enforcement can force you do unlock your phone using biometrics with or without your consent. A PIN or password cannot be legally forced.

not that I plan on getting in trouble with the law.

thanks.

[Lucid Dreamer]

7. Forced biometric unlock... legal or not?

MJ, when you wrote that LE could force you to provide fingerprint to unlock a phone I got curious.

I haven't done an in-depth search yet, but apparently such practice is legal... at least in some jurisdictions.
I would have guessed otherwise, but I am not a lawyer. Thank you for bringing this up.

..
https://www.lawtechnologytoday.org/2019/08/can-police-force-you-to-unlock-your-cell-phone/

https://www.njcinc.org/resourcecenter/can-law-enforcement-use-your-fingerprint-to-unlock-your-phone