Wirebook › Glossary › Biometrics
What are biometrics?
In one sentence: Using a part of your body, like your face or fingerprint, to prove who you are.
A little more
Biometrics means measuring something about your body to check who you are: your face, fingerprint, voice or the pattern in your eye. Face unlock and fingerprint sensors on phones are the everyday examples.
A phone doesn't store a picture of your finger or face. It stores numbers that describe it and checks whether a new scan makes close enough numbers. Unlike a password you can't change your face, which is why good phones keep those numbers locked inside the device.
It's a bit like… A bouncer who knows your face, instead of asking for a ticket.