Must enter PIN to use different camera app / lens

[CreepinJesus]

I want to set a different camera app or lens as my default camera, but everything except the built-in camera app requires my password to use. For example, if I set the default camera to be Nokia Smart Cam and turn the phone on using the camera button (to go straight to photo mode), it asks me for my PIN and then goes to the camera - kind of defeats the whole point of turning on straight to camera mode!

Is there a way of preventing this? inb4 turn off password

 

[inteller]

yes it is stupid, but unfortunately it has to work that way because that is launching a different app. The way the camera app works now with security allows someone else to use your camera without getting into the rest of the phone

 

[hopmedic]

It's not stupid - it's security. The built-in camera app is part of the OS, and MS knows that it isn't going to do anything malicious, so it is allowed to be accessed. Any third party apps may not be fully known by them, so it makes sense that this is how it is. Of course, it would be nice if MS and Nokia would get together on this and make the Nokia apps like the built-in app, but alas, that's apparently not happened. One thing to note, if you get into the Nokia Pro Cam app, you've got the camera roll..... The built-in app only gives you the pics that were taken since it was started.

 

[CreepinJesus]

Makes sense, I guess. I was just checking I wasn't missing something obvious!

 

[inteller]

that makes absolutely no sense. The security threat isn't from within the lens app you'd like to access....that would never make it into the store. Plus even if it did you would have that security problem lock screen or not. The PIN keeps people OUT of your apps. So in respect that you can't access safe lens apps it is stupid, but required from the sense that once in those lens apps they would have access to everything in that app. Obviously one solution is being able to set a favorite lens, which is either coming or is in GDR2.

 

[manicottiK]

The security threat isn't from within the lens app you'd like to access....that would never make it into the store.

Actually, it could be and hopmedic gave you a high-profile example. The Nokia ProCam and other lenses can access and show your camera roll to people who don't have your PIN. In truth, they could expose more info if they wanted to (calendar appointments, contacts, etc.). Microsoft isn't going to validate that some lenses are "safe" while others might not be.

In many ways, this is just like the arguments about whether or not Kids Corner should require the PIN upon initial use. The "no PIN" folks are effectively saying that they aren't terribly concerned about security; the "yes PIN" folks are putting security above convenience for the kids. In businesses where data security is required by legislation (i.e., medical or financial privacy laws) or company policies (i.e., intellectual property protection), letting a user choose apps that get to bypass the security policies of the business so that they are available before a PIN is entered would be grounds for getting a platform banned by the business that's unwilling to risk a violation of its policies or applicable laws.

 

[jhoff80]

It's not stupid - it's security. The built-in camera app is part of the OS, and MS knows that it isn't going to do anything malicious, so it is allowed to be accessed. Any third party apps may not be fully known by them, so it makes sense that this is how it is.

The only thing is that not every lens is available to be your default camera app, so clearly Microsoft is already restricting access to this somehow. I agree about the part you said that it allows access to your entire Camera Roll, but Nokia should fix that and Microsoft should at the very least give the user the option to remove the PIN (only for the camera app) when using the camera button.

 

[hopmedic]

that makes absolutely no sense.

Actually, given the OS that we have now, it makes good sense.