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I use a duress PIN to protect my data — here’s how it works and why everyone needs one
(www.androidauthority.com)
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this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2025
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Android
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I feel like this is one of those situations where you might be able to use something like an NFC tag to force your phone into a locked state where it would require the pin to unlock.
I think an SOS style pin input is great in theory but I don't know that most people will use it because it's not necessarily going to help in places where you might be required or forced to give up biometric unlocking credentials (some countries make it so there is not a legal way to refuse to give up your fingerprint or face scan etc). This isn't any easier than setting a lockdown key combination etc. Currently on my phone the lockdown is set to enable if I press the power button and volume up key at the same time and I think it's similarly easy to do on iphones.
I feel like this is one of those situations where it also might be a workable idea to use something like an NFC tag to force your phone into a locked state where it would require the pin to unlock. If of course lockdown mode can't be enabled on your device using a key combo and you have NFC available.
It would be nice if there was a way to use 2FA to unlock a phone. Using a password in combination with biometric or NFC token. That would also allow for the use of an emergency pin as well.
GrapheneOS has 2FA implemented with fingerprints. When enabling it, you choose a 2nd factor pin you have to enter every time you want to unlock using your finger
(Allowing you a reasonable compromise between convenience, as in not having to put in a long password every time, and having more protection against physical abuse or coersion, OFC not the serious kind, but it helps with e.g. the coppers)
That's nice. I wish a security token was also an option, but it doesn't appear they have any intention of implementing that. I don't like the idea of using biometrics for anything specifically because of law enforcement and how there I can be compelled to provide biometric data. A security dongle is almost the same, but with the "advantage" that a little bit of security through obscurity can be implemented since they not only have to know a token is required, but also which one.
Technically that's also a disadvantage in that a security token can be lost vs biometric, but that's the risk profile I would personally prefer.
I have a similar take on biometrics, but love their convenience (plus I don't have to type out my passphrase in public, which IMO is a huge plus) and with GrapheneOS I get to have my cake and eat it too :>