Unlock phone options

[kgash]

I have found that you can set either a pin or a password or a pattern to unlock phone. You can also set Fingerprint unlock. If the fingerprint does not work (as is often the case) it defaults back to whatever (pin, password or pattern) you have assigned.

Now, for a number of reasons, I am reluctant to use fingerprint unlock. I logically assumed that I could set up both a pin and a pattern and if the pattern failed for some reason, it would default back to the pin. It seems that this is not possible so if the pattern doesn't work, you have to go through an elaborate process to reset unlock method.

My question is: Is it possible to set up a pin and a pattern at the same time and use either to unlock phone or use pin if the pattern fails?

 

[lion7718]

It's pin or pattern, you can't have both.

 

[kgash]

I thought that was it, thanks.
I wonder why such an obvious fail-safe is not available. Pins are stored securely on the phone and I believe this kind of arrangement was available on earlier phones and tablets.

 

[ocnbrze]

i love my fingerprint reader on my z fold 4. been using a reader to unlock my phones for years now. never had an issue. and i concur with @lion7718 that you can't do both. for me i don't see a need to use both.

 

[Hadron]

I thought that was it, thanks.
I wonder why such an obvious fail-safe is not available. Pins are stored securely on the phone and I believe this kind of arrangement was available on earlier phones and tablets.

No, it's always been one or the other, at least on any device I've owned (using android for 12 years, devices from HTC, Samsung and Google).

I guess "obvious" is subjective. The reason for the fallback with the fingerprint is that it's inherently less reliable (fingers may be dirty, wet, might no longer have prints because you got cyanoacrylate glue on them, etc) and less secure. The latter is the main reason, so when you use the fingerprint it will every now and then ask for your PIN/pattern/password in order to confirm your identity (you also need this to change security settings - fingerprint isn't accepted for that). Neither of those applies to the other methods (both require the same touchscreen, so if one doesn't work the other isn't likely to), so there's no great advantage to allowing both.