In recent decades, fingerprint identification has moved from police files into everyday life as a biometric security measure. The first use of fingerprints in computers for user authentication began in the late 20th century. By the late 1990s, tech companies were experimenting with fingerprint scanners as a replacement for passwords. Prototypes of laptops with built-in fingerprint readers were shown around 1998–1999 (e.g. a prototype IBM ThinkPad and an Acer TravelMate with a sensor). This innovation reached consumers by 2000, when companies like Toshiba and IBM introduced the first production laptops and PCs with integrated fingerprint login capabilities. Instead of typing a password, users could swipe or press a finger on a sensor to log into their computer securely. This was a direct application of forensic technology to personal electronics.
Fingerprint sensors soon appeared as optional accessories or built-in features on certain business-class notebooks and USB desktop scanners, marketed as adding both convenience and security. While initially a niche feature, by the mid-2000s many laptops (from manufacturers like IBM/Lenovo, HP, and Dell) offered fingerprint readers for Windows login or disk encryption. This trend in computers demonstrated the viability of fingerprints as a quick personal identifier outside of law enforcement.
Around the same time, the first mobile phones with fingerprint readers debuted. In 1998 Siemens showed a prototype phone with a fingerprint sensor, and in 2000 the Sagem MC 959 ID was launched as the world’s first GSM cell phone to incorporate a fingerprint scanner. This cellphone allowed the owner to unlock the device using their fingerprint instead of a PIN code – a novel feature in 2000. The fingerprint sensor was located on the back of the handset and used an algorithm from Sagem’s military division. A few Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in the early 2000s, such as the Compaq iPAQ h5450 in 2002, also included fingerprint scanners for device access. These early mobile implementations were somewhat ahead of their time and did not immediately become standard on all phones. Throughout the 2000s, fingerprint access remained mostly on specialized devices aimed at enterprise or security-conscious users.
The breakthrough to mainstream adoption came in 2013, when Apple introduced Touch ID on the iPhone 5s, bringing fast, reliable fingerprint unlocking to millions of users. After that, fingerprint sensors became a common feature on smartphones (Android devices had begun including them slightly earlier, but Apple’s deployment greatly popularized it). By the late 2010s, touching a fingerprint sensor to unlock a phone, authorize payments, or log into apps became routine for people around the world – a direct evolution of the forensic fingerprint principles established over a century prior.
In computers, fingerprint-based login is now widespread as well. Modern operating systems support biometric sign-in, and devices from smartphones and tablets to laptops and even door locks use fingerprint readers. The technology has evolved (e.g. today’s capacitive and ultrasonic sensors, which are more compact and accurate), but the fundamental concept is the same: using the uniqueness of one’s fingerprint to confirm identity. The firsts in this arena – the first fingerprint-equipped PC and the first fingerprint phone in 2000 – were significant because they portended the ubiquity of biometrics. What began as a forensic tool for catching criminals has become a convenient personal security tool. This modern chapter of fingerprint identification underscores its enduring value: from ancient Babylonians sealing clay tablets with finger marks to 21st-century consumers unlocking smartphones with a touch, the fingerprint has proven to be a timeless and powerful identifier of individuals.
Sources:
GSMArena – Flashback: Two Decades of Fingerprint Readers on Mobile DevicesFree Online Library – Sagem Adds Fingerprint Recognition
Biometrics Institute – Fingerprint Sensors in Consumer Products
