With the continuous updates and upgrades of smartphones, fingerprint unlocking has become a standard feature for most phones. Many people are curious about whether “can a phone be unlocked with fingerprints after death,” and on July 8th, this topic trended on Weibo, sparking heated discussions among netizens.
Fingerprints are a unique biological feature that remains unchanged from birth to death, carrying individuals’ unique personal information and often referred to as a “human ID card.”
So, can fingerprints still unlock a phone after death?
According to a report by Technews on the 8th, experts indicated that the ability to unlock depends on specific circumstances. For instance, optical fingerprints may not be able to recognize whether the fingerprint holder still exhibits life characteristics, thus there is a high probability of being able to unlock the phone after death.
In contrast, capacitive fingerprint technology offers relatively higher security.
It is known that bodily cells continue to exhibit weak electrical activity even after death for approximately 3 hours. During this period, the body still generates some electric currents, increasing the likelihood of unlocking the phone.
However, as time passes after death, the probability of successful unlocking decreases.
On that day, the topic “Can a phone be unlocked with fingerprints after death” trended on Weibo, sparking discussions among numerous netizens.
“I don’t know after death, but I do know that my current fingerprints are not working well. Can’t even clock in at work, let alone open the door at home.”
“Fingerprints probably can’t unlock the phone after death, because in winter when hands are frozen without warmth, the phone won’t recognize the fingerprint.”
“I’ve tried and couldn’t unlock it, and even face recognition didn’t work.”
“Someone actually experimented with their severed finger, and it turns out that a severed finger can indeed unlock a phone.”
“At least I know it’s possible for a period of time… I encountered a girl with depression, her parents returned home to find her gone, and the police used her fingerprints to unlock the phone.”
“It’s not absolute. But I did experience this issue. Several hours after my dad passed away from a heart attack, we couldn’t unlock his phone with his fingerprints anymore.”