Technologies

Turn Off This iPhone Lock Screen Feature for a Security Boost

Some iPhone features can work on your lock screen without unlocking it, and that can be a problem.

Some of the best iPhone cases also function as wallets, letting you carry your phone, credit cards and more in one slim package. But this also means you’re putting your sensitive personal belongings in the same place. If you lose your iPhone and its case or someone steals them, the thief could have everything they need to commit credit card fraud. Changing your iPhone settings can help keep others locked out of your phone — and your bank account.

If someone has your credit card information and tries to make a large purchase, your bank might send you a text message, asking to verify it. If an unauthorized person also has your iPhone, they could respond to your bank’s message, verifying the purchase without unlocking your iPhone. One Reddit user recently wrote that a thief charged more than $9,000 to their card when this happened to them.

Replying to messages from the lock screen was first introduced in iOS 8. When you receive a text notification, you can swipe text notifications left on the lock screen to reveal an option to reply to the message. If you tap that option, you can craft and send a reply without unlocking your iPhone.

Replying to messages from your iPhone’s lock screen is easy for you — and scammers. Thankfully, you can help protect yourself by turning this feature off. Here’s how to turn off Reply from lock screen.

Turn off Reply from lock screen

1. Tap Settings.

2. Tap Face ID & Passcode.

3. Enter your Passcode.

4. Go to Reply with Message under Allow Access When Locked and tap the slider to off.

Now when you receive a text, you’ll need to unlock your phone to reply.

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Turn off other lock screen features

There are other features you — and anyone else — might be able to access from your lock screen without unlocking your iPhone, too, like Siri. Without unlocking your phone, you or someone else can make phone calls, send text messages and can find some devices your iPhone has connected to, like your car, just by asking Siri. Someone with access to your iPhone could track your car’s location if this setting is turned on.

Some of features you can access from your iPhone lock screen without unlocking your phone include Siri and your Wallet app.

Zach McAuliffe/CNET

You can also access your Home app without unlocking your iPhone lock screen. In the Home app, you can see smart home devices connected to your phone, like lights and security equipment and any digital door locks. Someone with access to your iPhone could monitor your security cameras and door locks, potentially giving them a way into your home if you left any doors unlocked.

There is also an option to access your Wallet app without unlocking your iPhone. Someone might find it difficult to send themselves cash directly from the app, but someone could use your iPhone to access digital keys or pay for a transit fare without unlocking your screen.

The process for turning off these features is the same as before.

1. Tap Settings.

2. Tap Face ID & Passcode.

3. Enter your Passcode.

4. Under Allow Access When Locked, tap the sliders next to the features you want to turn off.

You can turn off the features mentioned above, or you can turn off all the features so your lock screen is truly locked down to everyone except you.

Turning these features off won’t affect what notifications you receive on your lock screen. (To change that, you need to go to Settings > Notifications.) You just won’t be able to interact with these notifications until you unlock your screen, which will help protect your security and privacy in case you lose your iPhone.

For more, check out other settings to keep off your lock screen and how and why you should use use the Find My app on your iPhone.

Technologies

Tinder Users Must Start Logging In With Their Faces, Starting Nationwide

The social app now has new US requirements including face identification to help quell longstanding problems with catfishing and more.

US Tinder users will find a new feature when they open up the dating app starting Wednesday: A mandatory Face Check on their phones will be required before they can log into their profiles.

The Face Check step will begin with a new request to record a video of your face, a more casual version of setting up Apple’s Face ID login. Tinder will then run checks comparing your face data to your current profile pics and automatically create a small face badge for your profile. We already know how it works, because Tinder has already launched the feature in Canada and California before the full US rollout.

The technology, powered by FaceTec, will keep biometric data of the user’s face in encrypted form but discard the scanning video for privacy. Tinder will be able to use the face data to detect duplicate accounts, in an effort to cut down on fake profiles and identity theft.

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Tinder’s facial recognition rollout is also made to prevent catfishing, or people pretending to be someone else on Tinder to scam or blackmail them. But that also points to a deeper problem on the rise in dating apps — a growing number of bots, many controlled by AI, are designed to glean personal information or fool users into scammy subscriptions, among other problems.

Tinder’s working against these bots on several fronts, including this Face Check push as well as ID Check, which requires a government-issued ID and other types of photo verification.

The dating app also recently released a feature in June to enable double-dating with your friends, which Tinder reports is especially popular with Gen Z users. If you’re worried about the latest hazards on Tinder, we have guide to safety practices.

A representative for Tinder did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Oct. 23

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 23.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Like some weather, memories and I.P.A.s
Answer: HAZY

5A clue: Statement that’s self-evidently true
Answer: AXIOM

7A clue: Civic automaker
Answer: HONDA

8A clue: What fear leads to, as Yoda told a young Anakin
Answer: ANGER

9A clue: Foxlike
Answer: SLY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Verbal «lol»
Answer: HAHA

2D clue: Brain signal transmitter
Answer: AXON

3D clue: Hits with a witty comeback
Answer: ZINGS

4D clue: Sing at the top of a mountain, maybe
Answer: YODEL

6D clue: Name of the famous «Queen of Scots»
Answer: MARY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: