Beautiful designed online accounting software Xero, which is aimed at small business owners, has added a very security conscious new function in their latest update, implementing fingerprint scanning based on the Android M Fingerprint API.
Founded in New Zealand in 2006, Xero has begun rolling out globally with great success entering the Australian, US and UK, as well as other markets over the next few years. The company has been at the forefront of great design on Android adopting Material Design and other features relatively quickly for a smaller company.
The update with fingerprint authentication was added to the Xero for Android app this week, as well as a follow up update to add stability to the function. The feature is designed to be used in concert with two-factor authentication (2FA), which Xero introduced in December last year. The combination of 2FA and the Fingerprint, Xero says ‘adds an extra layer of security to your Xero account, protecting Xero customers against attacks such as account phishing’.
The new feature gives users the option to choose between a security code or fingerprint authentication. To setup the fingerprint authentication, ensure your app is up to date, then head into settings and check under the ‘Lock app with’ section. If you’re a new Xero user though, you will get presented with an option to use fingerprint authentication in the setup dialogue.
If you’re a Xero user, ensure your app is updated in Google Play, if you’re interested in checking out Xero in more detail for your small business, head over to the Xero website.
