Do you use a passcode lock?

[styfle]

Ok so I want to see how many people put a passcode on their phone. I currently don't and with the increase in personal information on my phone, I have started to think about it. Isn't it annoying to type the passcode every time you want to just look at the calendar or respond to a text?

[psylichon]

I could never be bothered with all that. I'm fortunate that my life isn't top-secret enough to warrant it. Besides, my phone is either in my pocket or in my hand, in front of my face. If someone is holding it, I'm aware of the situation.

[patrickj]

I don't use one either. I tend to put any critical / sensitive information only into digital wallet apps that do have passcodes / encryption etc. In notes and other apps, I don't have anything top secret.

Also, like Dave, I just can't think of a situation where I'm not fully aware of where the iPhone is ...

[styfle]

Ok not that kind of information but I mean all the apps store your passwords such as your email, facebook, etc so if you loose it you have to remember all the apps that stored your password, and then change it.

[patrickj]

^^ Good point. I wouldn't have an issue remembering these, as there are only a few - one mail account, Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed ...

[iphonewarrior]

I dont know why any of you dont use the lock- anyone can turn around and say 'well what if you lose it?'

or if you leave it at work and you come back to get your beloved phone to find 5 men giggling around your phone looking at naked pictures of you and your mrs in some form of strange karma sutra position! :)

[psylichon]

I dont know why any of you dont use the lock- anyone can turn around and say 'well what if you lose it?'

I'll repeat...

my phone is either in my pocket or in my hand, in front of my face.

I'm really not kidding. "Losing" my iPhone is, to me, a seeming impossibility considering my interaction with it.

[iphonewarrior]

I'll repeat...



I'm really not kidding. "Losing" my iPhone is, to me, a seeming impossibility considering my interaction with it.


you've shot yourself in the foot, your going to lose it somewhere now after saying that!

You did it not me.... (get a passcode lock quick before everyone sees pics of you, animals and yoghurt)

[impaler]

I use one when I'm at work. We're required to leave cell phones in bins outside our workcenter. Since I have little positive control over it while there, if it's stolen at least they'll not be able to get to my data.

[psylichon]

you've shot yourself in the foot, your going to lose it somewhere now after saying that!

You did it not me.... (get a passcode lock quick before everyone sees pics of you, animals and yoghurt)

lol! http://dancetech.com/forums/images/ok.gif

Nah, I've returned a couple mobiles in my life. Karma's got my back.

[iphonewarrior]

mate, that's the ultimate sin... Karma! thats a still a pretty good answer though.

Passcode lock is defo for me, it's simple, keeps people out of your stuff if they find it!

[acosmichippo]

Kama sutra's got a lot of people's backs.

[danipoak]

The only reason I use one is to get rid of the SMS preview thing. It just annoys me to see part of the SMS on the locked screen. I have it set to 4 hours so the only time I ever have to input the code is when I wake up in the morning. I just don't see how someone can think that is an inconvenience.

[danipoak]

I use one when I'm at work. We're required to leave cell phones in bins outside our workcenter. Since I have little positive control over it while there, if it's stolen at least they'll not be able to get to my data.

What kind of place do you work at where you have to leave your cell phone in a bin?

[iphonewarrior]

What kind of place do you work at where you have to leave your cell phone in a bin?


i was thinkin exactly the same thing...???

My iphone does not belong in no bin... it belongs in a nice warm palm being gently stroked from time to time

[iphonewarrior]

Kama sutra's got a lot of people's backs.


Do you mean it's done their back in- for all the crazy stuff they've been upto? we on the same wavelength here...:wink:

[psylichon]

I have it set to 4 hours so the only time I ever have to input the code is when I wake up in the morning. I just don't see how someone can think that is an inconvenience.

Thanks man! Learn something everyday... I had no clue about that feature. I may just start using a passcode now. Just because it will make me feel like James Bond every 4 hours.

[psylichon]

My iphone does not belong in no bin... it belongs in a nice warm palm being gently stroked from time to time

Don't ever take it to jury duty then.

[iphonewarrior]

Don't ever take it to jury duty then.


Thats a fair point. Tell you what, when/if i ever get called to do my part for the community, i will stroke my phone (in a non-eroctic fashion) and get someone to stick it on youtube!

Do you think i'll get a reaction from the people in there?

Sh*ts and giggles

[impaler]

My iphone does not belong in no bin... it belongs in a nice warm palm being gently stroked from time to time

Sure you're not confusing it with something else? LOL

Anyway, I work in US government, highly classified stuff. Can't bring in anything with a radio. It's not like it's out on the street. Still...

[patrickj]

If you've got a passcode lock set to only prompt for it every four hours, what happens if it gets nicked in hour number one of that period? Thief is limited to just 3 hours to auto-login to default accounts etc?

Doesn't seem exactly Fort Knox like ...

[iphonewarrior]

Sure you're not confusing it with something else? LOL

Anyway, I work in US government, highly classified stuff. Can't bring in anything with a radio. It's not like it's out on the street. Still...


I'm on par with you there, i'm in the submarine service. not allowed anything with a camera/phone cigs/lighter when at work, bit OTT sometimes, but hey- you get used to it

[impaler]

If you've got a passcode lock set to only prompt for it every four hours, what happens if it gets nicked in hour number one of that period? Thief is limited to just 3 hours to auto-login to default accounts etc?

Doesn't seem exactly Fort Knox like ...

It's not Ft. Knox, but after 10 bad attempts, all my data is erased. Might get in eventually, but won't see my crap. My data's more valuable to me than the phone, can't put a price on it.

[impaler]

I'm on par with you there, i'm in the submarine service. not allowed anything with a camera/phone cigs/lighter when at work, bit OTT sometimes, but hey- you get used to it

I personally don't think it's OTT, I think TEMPEST provisions are necessary. Nothing works in the building anyway, so even if the radio's on, in theory, yes, it could transmit, but it's OBE because of the walls.

[kokogirl]

Sure you're not confusing it with something else? LOL

Anyway, I work in US government, highly classified stuff. Can't bring in anything with a radio. It's not like it's out on the street. Still...

Cool. We have a super secret undercover spy in out midst. Like Jack Bauer, but with no cel phone.

Impaler-If you are not such a spy, do not tell me. Let me have my little fantasy. :laugh2:

[patrickj]

It's not Ft. Knox, but after 10 bad attempts, all my data is erased. Might get in eventually, but won't see my crap. My data's more valuable to me than the phone, can't put a price on it.

I'm not questioning the passcode lock idea in general - and the lockout after 10 is a good setting. I'm saying a setting where you're only prompted for it every 4 hours (am I understanding that right) seems to leave you wide open anyway. If I enter it now, and my phone gets stolen 2 minutes later, the thief has nearly the whole 4 hours to login to mail accounts etc. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

When I worked with sensitive info in a corp environment, you never walked away from your desk without hitting CTRL-ALT-Del and locking your PC (else there was hell to pay) - setting a screensaver to lock after 4 hours would not have cut it ...

[iphonewarrior]

I personally don't think it's OTT, I think TEMPEST provisions are necessary. Nothing works in the building anyway, so even if the radio's on, in theory, yes, it could transmit, but it's OBE because of the walls.

TEMPEST- should that really be mentioned in here? control of communications. Besides... were here to find out where this guy works, and why his bosses make him put his phone in a 'bin'


J.

[impaler]

TEMPEST- should that really be mentioned in here? control of communications. Besides... were here to find out where this guy works, and why his bosses make him put his phone in a 'bin'


J.

TEMPEST is a publicly-known program. Wasn't going to say anything else about it.

[impaler]

I'm saying a setting where you're only prompted for it every 4 hours (am I understanding that right) seems to leave you wide open anyway.


If you have your passcode set for four hours, then yes, you're effectively defeating the purpose of it. You can set it for immediately, one, five, 15 minutes, an hour or four hours. As always, the balance is between security and convenience. For me, I turn the phone off before I enter the building, so a thief turning the phone on is presented with the passcode screen before it gets to the home screen. And normally I set it for five minutes. That's the best compromise between the two I've found works.

[impaler]

Impaler-If you are not such a spy, do not tell me. Let me have my little fantasy. :laugh2:

Okay Lisa, will do! "EVERYBODY DOWN!!!" Okay, that was my best Bauer.

[patrickj]

If you have your passcode set for four hours, then yes, you're effectively defeating the purpose of it. You can set it for immediately, one, five, 15 minutes, an hour or four hours. As always, the balance is between security and convenience. For me, I turn the phone off before I enter the building, so a thief turning the phone on is presented with the passcode screen before it gets to the home screen. And normally I set it for five minutes. That's the best compromise between the two I've found works.

OK - 5 minute setting makes much more sense to me. And I agree there are always compromises to be made between security and ease of use ...

[styfle]

Interesting, I didn't know there were different time intervals. I'm gonna try the one hour and see if it gets annoying. I always have my phone with me but the one way I could lose it would be falling out of my pocket. I'm starting to not feel it in my pocket as much now since I'm used to it.

[acosmichippo]

there is another way to look at this, guys.

Let's say your iphone DOES get lost. It is either going to be found by: A) a total jerk that will do whatever they can with your personal info to destroy your life; B) a person that would want it for themselves, and thusly overwrite your data with theirs; or C) an honest person who just wants to find the original owner and return the phone.

Situation A could be potentially devastating. Now, call me an optimist, but i think the likelihood of situation A occurring is much, much less than B or C. In situation B, having a passcode lock will not benefit you at all because the phone can just be restored in itunes.

In situation C, most likely the first thing the rescuer would try to do would be turn the phone on to find either the owner or a family member to contact. There's no way they would be able to do this with a passcode lock. Granted, they could still contact Apple or AT&T, but i don't think that is as likely to happen. They may also think to just hand it over to an authority in whatever place the phone was found in, but that is just one more person that may decide to keep it for themselves (or worse).

so, the way i see it, if you lose your iphone, it is MORE likely to find its way back to you if you leave it unlocked.

[patrickj]

^^ How 'bout a wallpaper image that displays the 'contact if lost' type contact info that you want it to?

[acosmichippo]

OK - 5 minute setting makes much more sense to me. And I agree there are always compromises to be made between security and ease of use ...

the only reason i could see someone using the 4-hour lock time is if they don't really want it locked, but they DO want the SMS previews turned off. That would really be the only way to accomplish that.

[acosmichippo]

^^ How 'bout a wallpaper image that displays the 'contact if lost' type contact info that you want it to?

sure, that would do it.

i like my wallpaper, though.

[glsda]

I always ask my self which is the least costly mistake to make, A.) have my pass code set for 5 minutes and have to do that frequently or B.) have all of the data that I don't have further protected in the iPhone available.

To me option A is preferable. In this era of identity theft, fraud etc I am more comfortable with the inconvenience of the pass code. Like Impaler is, I was involved for 28 yrs with classified material from mere confidential to as high as it gets. The incidents where 'I never thought this, it could happen to me' are legion.

[richardya]

How effective is the passcode, if you lose your phone and somebody finds it, is there a work-around?

I know on windows, even with a user password it seems there are a bunch of work-arounds to get to the avergae users info.

[Picazzo]

I always use the passcode. If I lose my iPhone, then the thief/lucky guy have to restore the iPhone to use it. I use my iPhone for business and have a lot of sensitive information in my notes, mails, contact information etc.

[Ezekiel2517]

ok, let me break down my situation for yall..

1. to answer the first question, yes, i have a passcode lock set to 4 hours. and NO its not for that sms thingy i could care less about that. i use it so that when ever i reset my phone it will be prompt for the passcode.

2. what about all my "sensitive" information? i have lockdown for that. so thats not really an issue.

3.what if my phone gets stolen? obviosly, there not going to get into my data. but i have ilocalis. so i can use its gps to track the phone's location from another computer, so ill know where it is. i can send a text message to my phone, forcing it to call back my phone. and i can even lock the whole screen making it so they cant use it all all

[greenblink]

I use the passcode but I don't have a choice as its enforced from my work exchange server as part of push email. The max I can set it to is 15 mins.

It was a pain at first but I'm used to it now and its not a problem. I like the added comfort that anything I put on my phone is protected.

[glsda]

How effective is the passcode, if you lose your phone and somebody finds it, is there a work-around?

I know on windows, even with a user password it seems there are a bunch of work-arounds to get to the avergae users info.


Given enough time almost any security system may be by circumvented. Most of those that steal or 'find' an iPhone and not turn it in will not spend the time necessary to by pass the security and they are probably not capable of doing so. I use a pass code to add another layer of frustration to whomever tries to use it. I assume they will try and sell it, get a new sim card and use it or trash it. I keep all materail on the phone in some sort of pass word protected app such as Memengo. I have the applcation, 'If Found, that displays information for returning the iPhone when you turn the iPhone on. If you try to go further the pass code is required.

[danipoak]

So to address what all are wondering why use a 4 hour lock. I don't use it to keep people out. If someone steals my phone, in all reality its most likely gone for good. Anyone with half a brain will just connect to iTunes and swipe it. I just hope they enjoy it as much as I did. I just hate the SMS preview. Drives me crazy. Not that many people play with my phone other than me either, it just bothers me, and this keeps it away.

[glsda]

Ok so I want to see how many people put a passcode on their phone. I currently don't and with the increase in personal information on my phone, I have started to think about it. Isn't it annoying to type the passcode every time you want to just look at the calendar or respond to a text?


NO:2cool:

[styfle]

Ok so I tried out the 1 hour passcode for a day. Does it prompt every hour or is it an hour after use? Yesterday it seemed like every hour but today I've only typed it in once and I still get in without the passcode.

[acosmichippo]

it locks an hour after the last use.

[Youngbinks]

I have to agree with Hippo's post just above. I leave mine unlocked and feel that if I did lose it, the odds would be in my favor for a returned phone without a passcode.

[PepeRB29]

i use a passcode for sure, set for every hour.

[styfle]

it locks an hour after the last use.
That would explain it.
I wish there were more options for time until lock. A 30 minute would be best for me.

[Europa]

there is another way to look at this, guys.

Let's say your iphone DOES get lost. It is either going to be found by: A) a total jerk that will do whatever they can with your personal info to destroy your life; B) a person that would want it for themselves, and thusly overwrite your data with theirs; or C) an honest person who just wants to find the original owner and return the phone.

Situation A could be potentially devastating. Now, call me an optimist, but i think the likelihood of situation A occurring is much, much less than B or C. In situation B, having a passcode lock will not benefit you at all because the phone can just be restored in itunes.

There is also an app I saw in the App store that will add an "if found call..." to your lock screen.

In situation C, most likely the first thing the rescuer would try to do would be turn the phone on to find either the owner or a family member to contact. There's no way they would be able to do this with a passcode lock. Granted, they could still contact Apple or AT&T, but i don't think that is as likely to happen. They may also think to just hand it over to an authority in whatever place the phone was found in, but that is just one more person that may decide to keep it for themselves (or worse).

so, the way i see it, if you lose your iphone, it is MORE likely to find its way back to you if you leave it unlocked.
In Situation C, you could call your phone and they would be able to answer it and arrange for a return. That is unless your battery dies before you are able to get ahold of them (and they don't have a charger).

There is also an app in the app store that will add an "if found call...".

[drumthrasher109]

I do. I mean, why not? I don't see any reason on why you wouldn't...

[sstalk]

3.what if my phone gets stolen? obviosly, there not going to get into my data. but i have ilocalis. so i can use its gps to track the phone's location from another computer, so ill know where it is. i can send a text message to my phone, forcing it to call back my phone. and i can even lock the whole screen making it so they cant use it all all

[/quote]

I looked in the app store and I couldn't find the app ilocalis. It sounds like a good idea, and I would like to have this app. Thanks.

[sstalk]

Sorry I forgot to mention that my quote above came from Ezekiel2517, and it was link #40 in this thread. Thanks.

[Ezekiel2517]

Sorry I forgot to mention that my quote above came from Ezekiel2517, and it was link #40 in this thread. Thanks.

ilocalis isnt in the appstore. you have to jailbreak for it

[Chex]

I use one, mainly so if I let some one check it out they don't some how put one in and cause me to have to do a restore. Also I think you can then choose never but still have a your own passcode in it.

[Ezekiel2517]

I use one, mainly so if I let some one check it out they don't some how put one in and cause me to have to do a restore. Also I think you can then choose never but still have a your own passcode in it.

lol, yeah, i remember i used to worry about that all the time before i had it turned on

[sstalk]

So I installed If Found and it replaced my wallpaper with my custom message "Possible Reward If Returned, Call 123-456-7890". I listed my real home phone number though. I had to say possible because people would take it then say 'where's my reward?' If I just said Reward if returned. ;-) We'll see if I ever lose my baby, err, oops, I mean my uhh phone. Yeah it is just a phone right? (That was my attempt at humor. Weak as it may be.)

[Europa]

So I installed If Found and it replaced my wallpaper with my custom message "Possible Reward If Returned, Call 123-456-7890". I listed my real home phone number though. I had to say possible because people would take it then say 'where's my reward?' If I just said Reward if returned. ;-) We'll see if I ever lose my baby, err, oops, I mean my uhh phone. Yeah it is just a phone right? (That was my attempt at humor. Weak as it may be.)I'd change that to "please call if found" and negotiate a reward if they ask. Saying possible reward is just like saying "Please call if found but be advised that I'm going to play games and will possibly try to get out of paying the reward based on how serious or scary you sound". Those same people that have no intention of returning without a reward are probably just as likely to call and say "are you offering a reward?".

[sstalk]

That made sense. I did change it to "please call if found." Thanks Europa.