Biometric Authentication
Biometric authentication uses a physical trait — a fingerprint or face — to verify a user, usually processed and matched locally on the device rather than sent anywhere.
Biometric authentication (fingerprint, face recognition) lets a device confirm who is holding it without typing a password. On modern phones and computers, the biometric data itself is captured and matched by a dedicated secure component on the device (such as Face ID's secure enclave or an Android fingerprint sensor's trusted execution environment) — the raw biometric data is not meant to leave the device or reach the app or its servers.
What an app actually receives after a successful biometric check is a yes/no confirmation from the operating system, which the app then uses to unlock something it already has locally — not a login credential it sends anywhere.
V4ult uses biometric authentication (Face ID, Touch ID, Android biometrics) exactly this way: after a successful check, it locally unlocks a session that was already started with the master password. It is a convenience layer for quick, repeated access on a trusted device — it does not replace the master password as the actual credential, and it is a different mechanism from passkeys/WebAuthn, which use biometrics to authorize a cryptographic key pair registered with a server.
Advantages
- Fast, low-friction way to unlock a trusted device repeatedly
- Biometric data typically never leaves the device's secure hardware
- Reduces how often the master password needs to be typed
Related
Frequently asked questions
Does biometric login send my fingerprint or face data anywhere?
On modern devices, no — the biometric data is captured and matched locally by a secure component on the device itself. Apps only receive a yes/no confirmation from the operating system.
Is biometric authentication the same as a passkey?
No. Passkeys use biometrics to authorize a cryptographic key pair registered with a server (replacing a password for sign-in). Plain biometric unlock, like V4ult's, uses biometrics to locally unlock a session that was already started with a password — it doesn't register anything with a server.
How does V4ult use biometric authentication?
Face ID, Touch ID or Android biometrics unlock a session already started with your master password on that device. It's a convenience layer, not a replacement for the master password.