The best part of the Apple ecosystem is how all their products work together. If you have a MacBook and an Apple Watch, you can use your Apple Watch to unlock your MacBook. However, Windows and Android are increasingly tying in better too. Now, you can easily use your Android phone’s fingerprint scanner to unlock your Windows PC.
This isn’t an official solution from Microsoft, however. Earlier, XDA-Developers was able to use Tasker and AutoTools to do so, but the solution wasn’t ideal. It involved sending your password unencrypted over your WiFi network and wasn’t an easy setup.
The supported configurations
- An Android phone running Android 6.0+
- Windows Vista/7/8/10
The steps
- Download and install Remote Fingerprint Unlock from the Play Store.
- Download and install the correct Windows Fingerprint Credential Module for your computer. If you have a 32-bit configuration, get the x86 version. If you have a 64-bit configuration, get the x64 version. Do note that you won’t find a usable app after installing it (you won’t need it).
- Sign out of Windows and get to the lock screen. You’ll find “Fingerprint Unlock” listed along with your accounts.
- Now move to the Remote Fingerprint Unlock app you just installed on your phone. Using the hamburger menu, get to the Scan screen.
- Tap the floating button that has a refresh icon. After it’s done scanning you’ll find your computer listed. Tap it, give it an in-app name, and then save it.
- Using the hamburger menu, get to the My Accounts screen. On the computer you just added, tap add account.
- Scan any fingerprint you use to unlock your phone. Add the account name (not the Hotmail email ID you use with Windows) and then its password (not the PIN).
- You can add more accounts using the same procedure, provided you buy the app. The free version is limited to one account.
- While you’re still in the My Accounts screen, tap your account name to make it the default account for the Unlock screen which we’re about to see in a minute.
- Using the hamburger menu, get to the Unlock screen. Scan any finger that you use to unlock your phone and your computer should unlock.
