Fingerprint Stickers Make It Easy to Unlock Your Phone With Gloves On

Touchscreen gloves have been around for a while, but now that phones are equipped with fingerprint readers, they’ve become a little outdated. You can still use them to punch in your password manually, but they can’t unlock your phone automatically, or authorize any of the apps you use TouchID for. But a new Kickstarter campaign is looking to fix that, as Gizmodo reports.

Nanotips are “fingerprint” stickers that let you use your phone’s fingerprint reader regardless of your hand protection. They’re made of an adhesive conductive material that lets your touchscreen recognize the heat of your fingers through a glove, whether it’s a thick leather or a soft cotton.

You don’t stick on your own prints, though. The TAPS kits are made with their own unique fingerprints for each sticker, and you can program your phone to recognize them. (Most phones let you authorize more than one fingerprint.)

It’s hard to say how well they will work, considering that some smartphone-ready gloves aren’t super reliable in terms of conducting enough heat to let your phone recognize your covered hands as a warm-blooded human. But we can hope.

They’re expected to go out for delivery in December, and would probably make a good gift for any of the bicycle and motorcycle enthusiasts in your life, as well as anyone you know with cold hands.

[h/t Gizmodo]

All images courtesy TAPS