Advantages of Biometric Authentication in Mobile App Development
Date: 7/31/2021

Mobile biometrics is quickly gaining relevance as we move towards increased digitization. The use of multiple devices as well as the intrusive nature of smart technology has further fueled the emphasis on improved security.

For this reason, mobile app developers are now focusing on mobile biometrics as a way of fortifying device and data security.

What Is Mobile Biometric Authentication?

When we talk of mobile biometric authentication, it simply means using biometrics to identify and authenticate the identity of a user while they use a particular mobile app.

Mobile biometrics can happen via facial recognition technology, or via fingerprint readers, hand geometry, voice recognition, and iris recognition.

Today mobile devices users have the option of either using the conventional username password-based authentication or they can switch to biometric authentication.

Benefits of Using Biometric Authentication in Mobile App Development

Password-based authentication has been the norm for a while now. However, as users increasingly favor the use of multiple devices, it does increase exposure to cyber-attacks and data theft.

Biometrics definitely provides users with a safe and easy mode of authentication when using different devices including mobile devices. There has been ongoing work on the use of biometrics in app development. In fact, one area where this technology can and has in fact made an impact is the banking sector.

Financial transactions are always under threat. And given how increasing number of users now use their mobile devices to access and perform financial transactions, the need for mobile biometrics is more than justified.

Key Areas of Focus in Mobile App Biometrics

Mobile biometrics for now is a highly complex and technical space that requires mobile app developers and engineers with a specialized and clear understanding of how biometrics work and how they can be used in mobile devices.

It’s also crucial to note that no technology is 100% accurate and failproof. For one there is always a chance of rejects or even chances of false accepts. These can prevent users from accessing their systems.

Here are some of the core areas of focus when considering biometrics in mobile app development;

Functionality Testing

Let’s look at the most basic form of biometric authentication – use of fingerprint when making a payment. App developers will need to focus on ensuring that while navigating different screens/stages of using an app, the user is correctly prompted to enter their fingerprint on the “make payment” section as opposed to any other screen prompt.

Testing Authentication and Security

Mobile biometrics should be able to correctly identify and match the original user with the entered biometric traits when accessing a particular mobile app.

User-friendly

While mobile biometrics in itself is highly complex technology, mobile app developers need to ensure that users find the mobile biometrics navigation easy-to-understand with simplified usage.

Testing for Interruptions

It is important to test how mobile biometric authentication performs during interruptions such as messages, or calls, or even notifications that the user might receive when using the mobile app.

Testing for Device Compatibility

Lastly biometric authentication in mobile app development will need to focus on how compatible a biometric-driven mobile app(s) is when used across multiple platforms, devices, and OS tools

To Wrap Up

Although at present biometrics in mobile app development does present specific challenges and limitations. However, it’s impossible to overlook how path-breaking the technology can actually be within the digital space amid increasing security risks.