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Old 15 Mar 2019, 09:41 PM   #1
ChinaLamb
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Can Iphone Touch ID be used to lock the Fastmail App?

Anyone with an Iphone... Can you verify whether "Touch ID" can be used to lock/limit access to the Fastmail app?

https://www.iphonelife.com/blog/3267...-touch-id-apps

Thanks!

I'm looking for a solution to provide a second level of security for accessing Fastmail on phones. Samsung has this with Secure Folder, just wondering if Apple has a similar option.
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Old 24 Jan 2021, 05:29 PM   #2
rblon
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Wondering the same thing. Other iOS apps do offer this additional security (banking apps, but also WhatsApp).

It would also make sense for the native email client, like for Notes (locked notes).
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Old 25 Jan 2021, 12:40 AM   #3
jsfrederick
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When I open up the app on my phone, FaceID pops up for authentication.
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Old 25 Jan 2021, 01:29 PM   #4
n5bb
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Arrow Fastmail iOS app screen lock feature

Wow — an old thread is restarted. See:
https://fastmail.blog/2020/06/11/fastmail-screen-lock/

Also see the help:
https://www.fastmail.com/help/clients/screen-lock.html

On an iOS device with “Touch ID” capability (I have both an iPhone 7 Plus and iPad Pro with this feature), the Device Settings menu for the Fastmail App has these choices:
  • Touch ID (on/off)
  • Timeout (Instant, 1 min, 5 min, 15 min) before app locks
  • Make notifications private (on/off)
  • Remember last viewed page (on/off)
  • OPEN LINKS IN: (In-App Browser or a choice of installed browsers)
  • Show Advanced Settings (Beta or Production) -- Beta on both the iOS app and webmail currently provides a new button in the upper right corner while reading a message which opens the Fastmail Calendar as a pop-up on the right side of the screen.
I go back and forth each day between use of the Fastmail iOS app on my iPhone, iPad, and Windows 10 browser access using my PC. The only significant feature found on the web login which isn’t available on the iOS app is rich text (HTML) editing features when composing an email or note on the app.

Bill
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Old 26 Jan 2021, 04:10 AM   #5
rblon
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Sorry for reviving such an old thread... Didn’t realize the Mobile App has this Device Settings menu.
However, this Touch ID setting is not doing the job that I want it to do, as you can circumvent it providing the passcode of the device.
A problem with iPadOS, imho, is that it is single user (unlike macOS) while an iPad is often shared within the family. So therefore in my house all the iPads have the same passcode. As I mentioned, apps for banking, but also WhatsApp, have this extra layer of security that you can only unlock with a FaceID / TouchID (not with the passcode). It would be handy if the FastMail app would work similar.
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Old 26 Jan 2021, 07:47 AM   #6
n5bb
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Arrow Personal iOS devices were not intended for shared use of apps with sensitive data

Oh ... now I see that you want to prevent use of the passcode if Touch ID fails. You could use the parental control features in iOS Settings > Screen Time to prevent others from using the Fastmail app, or disable the trusted device feature and log in with two factor authentication every time you use Fastmail on the device.

I would never personally want to restrict my ability to restrict use of my passcode if the fingerprint sensor fails or if my finger(s) are wet and don’t work on the sensor. I would also never let someone else use my device which allows Fastmail access unless I was watching them. But I see that you want to share devices, and I see your point.

You might file a Fastmail support request that they provide an additional choice to prevent access using the device passcode. I think that a better choice would be to add an additional PIN you could set which would need to be used as a prefix or suffix to the normal passcode.

But this is really a limitation in the use model set up by Apple. They consider the device to be a personal object like a key in your pocket you carry around with you, not a shared resource. The parental restrictions are to prevent use of certain apps and features on that device, not to allow parents to be allowed to use apps the kids can’t use. Desktop operating systems such as Windows are completely different, since they allow multiple users with an independent isolated sandbox for each user to play in.

Bill
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Old 26 Jan 2021, 04:44 PM   #7
rblon
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I am not sure if the Screen Time approach works. That would involve setting a 1 minute per day limit for Fastmail app?

Indeed, for my use case, I want the Fastmail app to have it’s own passcode, so that access is either with Touch ID / Face ID or with that passcode. That is also how I see banking apps providing the extra layer of security.

Btw, regarding Screen Time: iOS does offer the option for a Screen Time passcode, suggesting that Apple also realizes that these devices are being shared within a family.
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Old 28 Jan 2021, 10:23 AM   #8
n5bb
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All of the restrictions on apps seem to be in the Screen Time menu. I agree that Apple makes it hard to flexibly restrict non-Apple apps. I hope you file a Fastmail support request and ask for a better solution, such as a device settings feature to not allow the passcode to enable access to the Fastmail app. But there should be some other way to get access (such as using your Apple ID or your Fastmail login password) in case the biometric sensor fails. For example, yesterday a freak accident with a tape ruler cut my right index finger right in the middle of the key fingerprint area, and I have a bandage over that area today. Fortunately I had some other fingers stored.

Bill
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Old 29 Jan 2021, 04:35 PM   #9
rblon
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A Fastmail app specific passcode as backup if Touch ID fails is nice, but I don’t think it should be a strict requirement, as Fastmail could also fall back to the normal web login process in that case.

I have put in a feature request and got this response: "I'm afraid this is not on our immediate roadmap, however, we will take your suggestion on board in our future product planning.”

Anyway, thanks for the response Bill and good luck with your finger
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