Unlock with a glance
One glance past Budgie's lock screen. The four digits you chose stay the fallback and the lock behind it.
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Biometrics open the lock, the PIN stays the fallback
Biometric unlock is a shortcut past Budgie's lock screen. Face ID, Touch ID and Android fingerprint or face unlock all work this way. Underneath, the four-digit PIN is still what protects your data.
The switch lives inside the App Lock card in Settings, under Security. It only appears once you have set a PIN and the device has a biometric enrolled — there is no biometric-only mode.
On a cold launch Budgie asks the system to authenticate you the moment the lock screen appears, and a successful scan takes you straight in. The keypad also keeps a scan button, so you can ask for it again.
Cancel or fail and nothing is lost: the keypad was already there. Budgie switches the device-passcode fallback off on purpose, so your PIN is the only other way in.
- App Lock: PIN and biometric unlock
Cancel a scan, the keypad waits
The keypad is the lock screen itself, so a cancelled or failed scan costs you nothing.
Your PIN is the only other way in
The phone does the matching, Budgie sees only the result
Read the source
Start from the App Lock card
Settings, under Security, is where App Lock and your PIN begin.
- App Lock card, under Security
- PIN and Face ID, set up together
What you get
Unlock with biometrics
Face ID, Touch ID or Android fingerprint and face unlock on the lock screen, offered when the device has one enrolled
Biometric data stays private
The operating system does the matching — Budgie never sees biometric data, only the result
PIN is always your fallback
Falls back to PIN if biometrics are disabled or unavailable
Everything included
- The device-passcode fallback is switched off on purpose — your PIN is the only alternative
- The prompt fires by itself as the lock screen appears — no extra tap at app open
The details
For when you want to know exactly how it behaves.
Why biometrics belong on a finance app you check ten times a day
Biometrics are the right balance for an expense app you open ten times a day. Budgie calls the system authentication API, so the matching happens in the operating system and Budgie only ever learns whether it succeeded.
Turned off, unavailable, cancelled or refused — every one of those paths lands on the PIN keypad, because the keypad is what the lock screen renders in the first place. Budgie asks the system not to offer the device passcode as a fallback, so your Budgie PIN is the only alternative.
Questions
Does Budgie store my biometric data?
No. The operating system manages biometric matching and hands Budgie nothing but the result. Budgie keeps no biometric material — your PIN is what protects your data.
What if biometrics fail?
Nothing dramatic: the PIN keypad is already on screen, so you simply type your PIN. Budgie turns the device-passcode fallback off. Wrong PINs add a growing wait from the fifth wrong try on, and a successful scan clears that wait.
Can I disable biometrics?
Yes — Settings → Security → App Lock, then the biometric row inside the card. The PIN stays active. Turning App Lock off switches biometrics off with it.
Is biometric unlock safer than a PIN?
They're complementary. Biometrics are convenient and prevent shoulder-surfing; the PIN is what actually protects your data. Both raise the bar.
Ready to take Budgie for a spin?
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