Windows Hello is really "Beta"

[swanlee]

Wow had to turn it off today after trying for 3 days to get it consistent. Made sure to recalibrate probably a dozen times in different light conditions and it is simply not consistent enough to use in the real world. It requires perfect lighting and perfect device placement. I even tried the trick to look directly at the microsoft logo. It simply needs to work if you hold the phone up and look at it. If it can't be better adjusted after beta it will not be much use.

 

[ven07]

Beta will get better betta

 

[cracgor]

Try looking at one of your pupils. I looked at my right pupil and it worked perfectly for me. I would forget it was there and it would log me in before I could enter my pin.

 

[BaritoneGuy]

Working fine for me. In fact better than I expected for beta. I have trained it under multiple light sources bot with and without my reading glasses.

 

[runamuck83]

I actually think it works really well also. Is it instant?? No, there's a second delay while it scans for you. The only improvement I think it needs is speed, not accuracy. Maybe the next phone will incorporate full facial recognition so you don't need to be so exact with your gaze

 

[Jordan Rieck]

It definitely does have trouble some times, but it works enough for me that it is useful. Whenever it doesn't work, it seems to figure it out quick so I don't waste too much time trying to get it to work. I am satisfied with it and knowing that it will just get better and better makes me excited about this feature

 

[tanderson]

I found the Microsoft trick works great. It unlocks faster than I can even swipe up to put my pin in.

That said I've found that the bigger issue is the times that you don't want to (or can't) be looking at your phone when unlocking. Coming out of beta or switching to a real sense type camera isn't going to change that. It seemed like a good idea, but I think you'll see the switch to the standard fingerprint reader before improvements with the current method.

 

[jhoff80]

Pretty terrible results here as well. Even when it's working well, it takes about as long as a 4-digit PIN. But it frequently doesn't work well. I have to move the device all around, forward and back and tilt it in different directions before it finally detects anything. Now, I'm sure part of it is that I wear glasses, and I've noticed that while doing the 'improve recognition' that reflections / glare from external light messes with the process a ton. Still, even when I have my glasses off it has trouble a great deal of the time.

To any outside viewer watching me fumble with my phone, it makes Windows Hello look like a joke. Now, I've tried Windows Hello with the Kinect 2 and facial recognition on the PC, and that one is instant. But is the general public supposed to discern between the two technologies? How is Microsoft supposed to sell the public on facial recognition for PCs and laptops if they see people messing with their phones constantly to get iris scanning to work? (I guess part of it is that there aren't enough of us using 950/950XL to matter, but still).

Iris scanning just isn't ready for primetime. A fingerprint scanner would have been far better, in my opinion. I mean, I've got a Note 5 and the 950XL that I'm trying out both at the same time. The fingerprint scanner works the first try the large majority of the time, but even when it doesn't, I can get 4 or 5 attempts in before the 950XL recognizes my iris even in perfect conditions. I hope software can fix it, but I have no idea if the problem is all software or a combination of software and hardware.

 

[Jonnie LasVegas]

Yeah, iris scanning is a bit of a gimmick. I don't see it sticking around, probably be replaced by face or fingerprint scanning, as jhoff80 mentioned.
Never got good, consistent, or quick results with it. Tried every trick in the book and it still was hit or miss, mostly miss. But I do like that they are trying something new, just don't think it's quite ready for primetime yet.

 

[Josh Harman]

I don't really lock my phone so it's not that big of a deal to me that it works the way it does. It would nice if they can make it faster and from further away.

I use it to verify identity when making a purchase just signing in with your Microsoft account to something. For this it works great to me and worth the small limitations.

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Mine always works perfect. Not once issue

 

[Lucif3rhawk]

I think it works pretty well, but what I found out, when a friend of mine played with my handy, that when you have the option unlock with Iris scanner you can unlock the handy with just a swipe upwards! WTF?
The Handy is searching for your Eyes and then you can swipe upwards and the handy is unlocked!
Does this work with your 950's also?

 

[Paolo Ferrazza]

Works very well for me at home, office etcetc. Sometimes it doesn't work when in direct sunlight.