Google is set to add fingerprint authentication technology to its Android operating system

Google will be adding new technology to its Android operating system within its security protocol which will support fingerprint scanning. The component would allow developers to add fingerprint sensing technology for their utilization.

The typical way of unlocking your Android device with a PIN code may soon be obsolete. Google will introduce native fingerprint scanning for its Android M operating system at the company’s annual I/O conference. Google will launch an application programming interface (API) for fingerprint authentication to developers so they can merge fingerprint sensing into their apps.

Google has yet to confirm that it will announce that next version of its operating system for mobile devices, which would be Android M the expected follow-on to Android Lollipop, which Google released in late 2014.

Google’s partners are happy to use Google’s platform to implement features that at one time may have been considered too costly or time-consuming to develop internally as they welcome the dedicated support for fingerprint technology.

Various smartphone companies such as Apple and Samsung both offer fingerprint capabilities for their various products, including the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6. Security is often promoted as the main reason for implementing the technology, but it’s hard to ignore the advantage that Fingerprint based technology for smartphones that  is why it is slowly becoming a very important feature. Imagine placing your finger on a sensor to open a device, which is much faster than having to remember and manage complicated passwords.

The public should be aware about whether a data of the fingerprint is stored on the device, or if it’s converted into some form of encrypted data. For now it doesn’t go into detail how Google plans on protecting its data, but it’s something to be watchful of as fingerprint authentication becomes more and more prevalent. It is also important to know if the information is backed up or stored in the cloud at any point in time or if anyone else have direct access to the data.

The ideal way of dealing with security problems is to follow Apple on how it is implementing its own encryption protocol wherein a mathematical representation of your fingerprint is stored on secure chips that are off-limits to apps and the operating system. Google should either implement something similar or develop something way better.