A ‘selfie’ can now be used to protect phones and tablets

Fond of always taking a selfie? Well those selfies can now do more than just annoy your Facebook contacts, it can also protect contents like other apps and media inside your devices. Read more after the break.

FaceCypt is an iOS data encryption app that works a bit similar to Android’s Face Unlock, but differs in terms of usage. Basically, FaceCrypt locks documents and other contents in a vault that can be unlocked through various ways including taking a self-portrait. The difference between the two is that you control what you want to be private by keeping them all inside FaceCrypt, while Face Unlock is only a way to unlock a locked screen.

In addition to taking selfies, FaceCrypt can also be unlocked using patterns and passwords to encrypt files for bank accounts, credit cards, and other important data or media.

FaceCrypt CEO tells Fox Business, “Basically, you take a selfie, as it’s called, and it’s a biometric and it will recognize you … That’s the key method to getting to the application.”

When the first batch of facial recognition software came out, it could be easily tricked by holding up a photo of the owner against its camera for it to unlock. Now, FaceCrypt’s ‘liveness detection’ feature looks for the blinking of eyes to ensure that the face isn’t just an image and is indeed real.

FaceCrypt is now available over at the App Store in three versions – a free app with limited storage, a basic app at $4.99, and a plus app worth $3.99. The app is compatible with iPhones and iPads.

{Source}