How to Remotely Unlock a Windows PC Using an Android Fingerprint Scanner

Instead of using simple passwords, you can secure your Windows PC in a variety of ways. For example, Windows Hello helps you to sign in using your face, iris, or fingerprint. Whereas Microsoft's biometric authentication works on compatible devices, it does not allow you to unlock your PC remotely using your phone. Because of the proliferation of wireless technology and software interdependence, users can now unlock their computers using compatible features on their smartphones. Even though biometric authentication is still not widely used in PCs, particularly in the budget segment, there are OS-dependent features like Smart Lock that allow you to unlock your Android phone to access your Chromebook. But what if you don't use Chrome OS and don't want to? Remote Fingerprint Unlock is an app developed by XDA Member Andrew-X. It allows you to unlock any Windows PC using your Android smartphone's fingerprint scanner. I wrote a script that uses AutoTools to verify your fingerprint and Unified Remote to conduct remote inputs like tap, swipe, and paste to unlock your PC over 6 years ago.

How does Remote Fingerprint Unlock function?

Remote Fingerprint Unlock hardware-backed passwordless authentication in a novel way. The utility is divided into two parts: a Windows library and an Android app. This means you can use your Android device's fingerprint sensor to authenticate on the app. After validating, the Windows module activates your Windows user account. The credentials are encoded behind the scenes with a key generated based on your thumbprint. The key is protected by the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) of the SoC that controls the phone, thanks to Android's security mechanism. The app does not store any passwords and does not even require Internet access to function.

How to Configure Remote Fingerprint Unlocking

Remote Fingerprint Unlock is simple to set up. All you have to do is download the Android app, install the Windows Fingerprint Credential Module, and follow the app's setup instructions. As previously stated, the utility does not need an Internet connection, but it does require a local network. As a result, you must ensure that your Windows PC and Android phone are both connected to the same Wi-Fi/access point. [caption id="attachment_76601" align="alignright" width="1200"] Image: Canva[/caption]

• Remote Fingerprint Unlock can be downloaded and installed from the Google Play Store.
• Install the most recent Windows Fingerprint Credential module on your Windows PC. Make sure to thoroughly read the setup instructions and warning.
• Navigate to the Scan section of the Android app.
• Begin the Scan operation and allow it to find your Windows PC.
• Click on the PC you want to configure. If you have the pro version, you can name it and/or send a Wake-on-LAN packet.
• Open the Accounts section after you've added the PC.
• Select "Add Account." Enter the username and password for the account you want to unlock remotely.
• After you've added the account you want to access on the PC, tap on it so that a appears after the name. If you do not do this, you will receive an error message stating that "no default account has been selected."