There should be touch id required to just open the app, and then again to arm/disarm. I use the xfinity home system at another location and their app has that option for both which is much more secure. Would prevent someone from picking up an unlocked phone, and prevent simple erroneous action. You want to open the app, or arm/disarm the system, easy to confirm with touch id.
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I agree. Why are more people not voting up this feature. I installed the alarm system yesterday and it seems like this functionality is really important. Say someone steals my phone, they get into my Ring App and it clearly displays my address too! They can easily get to my address, disarm and clean us up.
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@Brad wrote:
There should be touch id required to just open the app, and then again to arm/disarm. I use the xfinity home system at another location and their app has that option for both which is much more secure. Would prevent someone from picking up an unlocked phone, and prevent simple erroneous action. You want to open the app, or arm/disarm the system, easy to confirm with touch id.
Hello @Brad , I understand your concern for extra security. But you should already feel very secure with the Ring App.
If you are referring to “Arming or Disarming the Alarm” using your home Keypad, that already requires a PIN. No worries about giving you code to others to use, because you can already set up or remove a “Guest code” (different code) for them to use, without giving out your code.
If you are referring to “Disarm, Home, Away” Alarm Modes or other settings in the Alarm through an App, many of us feel the Two-Step-Verification (2SV), which requires entering a code from Ring, is already a sufficient authentication method that you already had to use to initially get into your Ring App.
If you are concerned that someone just might pick up and then use your mobile smart-phone (or portable Tablet), to arm/disarm/modify your Ring App settings, you can either:
-1. Consider using the lock-screen feature that already exists on your mobile phone (time-out or via a single phone button-push). So, only you can reopen your phone (either by your mobile phone code, or fingerprint, and some phones can use facial-recognition). In addition to your Ring App (that you already had to use the 2SV to initially get into your Ring App), you probably have many things currently on your phone that you don’t want others to access if you leave your phone unattended. **Using the mobile phone’s existing “Lock-out” feature IS a very good security practice. ** You can set your mobile phone to lock quickly or delay for a certain amount of time-passage, and also lock with a single push lock it immediately. Unless you use a very long time period setting, it is very unlikely a thief could steal your phone while it is unlocked, and quickly get into it ( before it locks) to get your Ring information (in addition to all your other sensitive information on your phone). If you are worried about this, then set a shorter time-period for your phone to lock quicker. Most phones also have the ability to wipe & lock remotely.
-2. Or you can simply log-off your phone’s Ring app after use. Then you’ll have to repeat the Two-Step-Verification 2SV again to gain access to your phone Ring App.
If you are controlling your Ring alarm system on your PC through the Ring.com website, and concerned someone might access your PC while you are away, simply close that web-page on your browser (you don’t even have to log-out). Then you will need to repeat the 2SV to get back in.
If you are concerned about the available PC Ring App (not the same as using your PC at the Ring.com website), those PC Apps are designed for primarily viewing your Ring cameras, and have limited menu-options, and do not provide a way to arm, or disarm, or change important settings of your alarm system.
@Brad ,and @saleem85 , If you still feel you want an additional fingerprint/Pin option in your app, hopefully Ring should then additionally provide the selectable option to “opt-out” of this. There are many people that feel the 2SV is more than sufficient , and would not want any additional delays getting to their Ring App. This is especially true when trying to answer a Ring Video Doorbell or viewing a Ring Security Camera quickly. Adding an additional extra layer of security could be considered way too excessive to them.
I hope this information makes you feel that the App is already very secure.
Hi Boone,
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate what you are saying, and I already have all that in place. It still doesn’t stop someone potentially snatching your phone whilst your on it and unlocked and keeping it unlocked and then using it. Of course the chances of that are probably slim, but I feel it is still a good feature. Perhaps they should just add in a simple extra feature of touch Id or pin code when you disarm the alarm. That way as another neighbor mentioned, would not delay any doorbell rings etc.
They can also make that optional for people to decide.
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Most apps controlling sensitive data offer a touch/Face ID option to prevent unauthorised access. This is in addition to unlocking the phone. Common examples include messaging, banking, cloud storage.
If Ring take security seriously then I would hope this feature is high on their priority list.
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Have to agree this should be a standard feature, the Hive app has it, and that only controls my heating…
Vote for this feature to be included in the App. Even small Apps have Face ID option to unlock the App!