February 8, 2026
Facepalm ID, anyone?
Stop Using Face ID
Cops can unlock your phone with your face—comments are on fire
TLDR: A legal gap lets police compel your face or fingerprint to unlock devices, but not your passcode. Commenters split between “ditch biometrics now,” “keep convenience and fix the laws,” and practical iPhone lock tips—proving privacy is a battlefield where your face isn’t the safest shield.
PCMag’s warning is simple: biometrics like Face ID feel effortless, but they’re easier for police to compel than a passcode. That hit a nerve. After the FBI raid on a Washington Post reporter and court docs showing agents could force a fingerprint while Lockdown Mode blocked the iPhone, the crowd split fast.
One camp shouted “ditch biometrics now”, led by autoexec’s blunt “Stop using biometrics generally.” The convenience camp fired back: samename argued Face ID is secure and sane for people who unlock their phones 100+ times a day, and said the real fix is better laws and Fourth/Fifth Amendment protections. Practical folks chimed in with hacks: runjake dropped the tip to hard-lock an iPhone (hold power + volume) so it demands a passcode—then joked they’re “lucky” to not attract police attention. Cue nervous laughter.
Meanwhile, eddyg brought receipts with nerdy-but-useful context: iPhones auto-reset into stricter mode after 72 hours and will demand your passcode under certain conditions. Translation: even Face ID has guardrails. And then the vibes went full dystopia: jiggawatts declared “America is an authoritarian hellhole,” sparking memes like “Facepalm ID” and jokes about sleeping in sunglasses. The mood? A mix of paranoia, practicality, and punchlines, with everyone agreeing on one thing: your face is easy, your passcode is power.
Key Points
- •Biometric unlocks (Face ID, fingerprints) can be compelled by law enforcement under U.S. Fifth Amendment interpretations, while passcodes generally cannot.
- •An FBI raid on a Washington Post reporter’s home showed iPhone Lockdown Mode prevented access to the phone.
- •A federal judge granted a warrant compelling the reporter to unlock a computer via fingerprint scan.
- •Biometric data also supports passkeys for logging into accounts, which are increasingly offered by websites.
- •The article advises reconsidering the use of biometrics for unlocking phones due to legal risks.