When using a laptop or a desktop, signing into your computer after the screen is locked is mostly done with keyboards. But the same cannot be said about touch screens. Apple worked around this problem with its now famous, slider unlock feature.
Windows 8 will be used on tablets, PCs, laptops and even phones. So Microsoft had to come up with creative alternatives to securely lock touch screen devices without the use of virtual keyboards.
Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 will support signing into systems with picture passwords.
Features of Photo Passwords
- Windows 8 will allow syncing your desktops with your Live ID to sign-in to your computer or tablet. But there is no clarity if photo password will be extended to Live ID or just the Windows User Login ID.
- Adding photo passwords with pre-defined user gestures for touch screens is a great idea, as on most tablets the virtual keyboard functionality is not as user-friendly as with a laptop or desktop.
- There will be three separate gestures in a sequence, so even if smudges are left on a the screen, chances of someone being able to crack the sequence of gestures is quite rare.
- One issue with photo passwords could be security, as it would be easy to look and remember someone’s gestures instead of trying to guess which key they pressed.
Video of Photo Passwords on Windows 8
Check this list of confirmed features of Windows 8 for more details on Windows 8.
What are your views on Photo Passwords? Will they replace the current system of inserting alpha-numeric passwords? Do drop in your comments.
Related: Microsoft to introduce Windows Store
3 Comments
People working on desktop and laptops without the touch interface will have a tough time setting it up with their mouse or touchpads
@Ashish: I guess they will have to use the normal character based password.
This is great. But the problem is this password is likely to go to other persons mind, because what we do as the password can be seen by others. But the password typing in keyboard is not that easy for someone to understand even-though he is next to us if we are typing extremely fast.