This iOS 8 app found a great new way to use the iPhone’s fingerprint scanner

This iOS 8 app found a great new way to use the iPhone’s fingerprint scanner

Like Siri, Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner started out as a somewhat basic solution, but it was easy to see that it would end up being so much more. Now, Siri is packed full of functionality that can help simplify our smartphone experiences and, in a broader sense, our lives. Touch ID launched in 2013 on the iPhone 5s and it served just two purposes, unlocking the phone and authorizing App Store downloads.

But obviously, those two functions barely scratched the surface.

With iOS 8, Apple finally made Touch ID authentication available to developers and in doing so, it took a huge step toward removing one of the most annoying things about the mobile experience: Dealing with passwords, and doing so securely.

Of course, people should use unique, complex passwords for each and every online account. Password managers like 1password make that goal achievable, but there is still a lot of copying and pasting to deal with.

But with Touch ID, all you need is a finger.

Plenty of apps have already been updated with Touch ID support and most simply use Touch ID to replace the common password for account access. Some apps take things a step further though, and SignEasy’s newly available update is a perfect example.

As we’ve noted before here on BGR, SignEasy allows users to digitally sign documents in a matter of seconds. Signatures can be drawn right on an iPhone or iPad’s display and saved, and then inserted into any document quickly and easily along with dates, initials, job titles or any other required text. Then, in order to ensure that the digital signing process is secure, the user must enter a password to save a signed document.

Well, not anymore.

Thanks to iOS 8 and the newly updated version of SignEasy, which is available for download now, users can save and submit signed documents with a simple scan of the finger. I have been testing the app over the past few days and I can confirm that Touch ID integration works smoothly and painlessly.

SignEasy is a free download and pricing starts at $5 per 10 documents for pay-as-you-go service,$30 per year for a personal subscription, or $60 per year for a business subscription.

Download SignEasy