How can I stop the last character of my password from being displayed?

Question

How can I stop the last character of my password from being displayed?

Sorry, I'm sure this would have been asked before, but I couldn't locate it..

When unlocking my iPad, how can I stop it from displaying the last character of my password to everyone in the vicinity? This has got to be the fastest way to find out someone's password (just look at the screen as they type their 'secure' password!?). Having the iPad display your password letter by letter is really not acceptable when working in a non-secure environment.

Is there a setting somewhere, or will this be addressed in a new iOS, or just ignored as a 'that's the way it is'?

Thanks in advance,
Andy

iPad, iOS 4, iOS 4.2.1

Posted on Jan 12, 2011 6:22 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 22, 2011 2:13 PM in response to AdventureBear

Some of you people clearly can't fathom the implications of displaying the last letter of the password. To then say you can see what keys you are pressing anyway are clearly talking something I usually dispose of into the toilet. For many years, keyboards have been the used input devices on computers. Even people I know who type with one finger are impossible to track what they are pressing; without obviously resting you're chin onto their shoulder and watching. Unless you're an MI5 agent specialising into keyboard watching... (I would bet they have one). So that isn't an issue.

With displaying the last letter, no matter how hard/ secure the password, I (and anyone with a bigger than small brain) would be able to memorise it; unless it was long enough that you literally couldn't remember it... (15 characters or so). Compared to watching fingers and guessing which one is going to press a button it is soooo much easier. Why give people an easy chance to get into your personal information? I don't want to have to lie on my back and hold the screen to my face to have to type in a password. Which retard thought it would be a good idea to show the password anyway? I know what my password is I don't need reminding after each key.

Anyone coming on here to just be pedantic... Your time spent writing will just be minutes spent you can never get back.

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Answer 2

PhilMelb

Level 1

11 points

Nov 22, 2011 11:50 PM in response to AdventureBear

Please please please, read the whole thread before replying, it saves us going over old ground. All of you people saying it doesn't matter, just do this, just do that, please advise how you think this should be managed when using your iPad connected to a projector.

You're demoing an application to a bunch of people and you're required to enter a password - do you

a) Ask all attendees to look away while you enter the password?

b) Unplug the iPad and cover it up while you enter the password?

c) Type in the password anyway and change it later?

or d) hassle the whatsit out of Apple to fix this stupid bug?

I'm for option d)

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Answer 3

Jan 12, 2011 7:34 PM in response to AdventureBear

Wish I could share your concern but, really, I've been using this thing in public places for months, can probably count on two fingers the number of times I've had to do anything involving passwords, and I think would have been fully aware of someone peeking.

Well, different ships, different tops'l sheet bends. Here's some guidance on requesting changes ...

FEEDBACK

If you wish to raise issues with or suggest changes to Apple, then you need to talk to them directly. These forums, strictly user-user and for technical support issues, are not an avenue for that. Use the feedback forms set up for the various hardware and software packages:

Feedback area of Apple Support: http://www.apple.com/feedback
iPad Feedback Form: http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

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Answer 4

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Jan 22, 2011 1:31 PM in response to adammacks

My son saw 3 of the displayed characters of my 9 digit password and was able to figure it out.

This simply shows one of two things…
1 - Your son is literally a mathematical/analytical genius.
2 - Your password is very, very insecure such as birthday, phone #, address or similar.

However send suggestions/feedback to Apple -> http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

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Answer 5

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Apr 16, 2012 9:14 AM in response to Utterly Pathetic

Utterly Pathetic wrote:

Meg, I think people do realise that this is simply a forum hosted by Apple, but they also know that Apple monitor these forums. They also know that occasionally Apple staff do respond to issues rasied directly to customers. So it's not completely accurate to say that "you're not talking to Apple here",

Yes it is.

Apple may "overhear" what you are asking but you are talking to someone else, not Apple.

As previously suggested, the best way to bring suggestions to Apple's attention is here -> http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 6

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,737 points

Jan 12, 2011 6:27 PM in response to AdventureBear

You can't. It's a characteristic of every iPad password entry. Two thoughts:

1. Don't enter the PW when someone is looking over your shoulder.

2. Go to Settings/General/PasscodeLock and turn Simple Passcode off so that you can use a much longer password.

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Answer 7

Jan 12, 2011 6:49 PM in response to Philly_Phan

Thanks Philly,

That's a real disappointment. I already do use 'long' passwords on it, and it happily displays the password as it type it 😟. With that answer, it basically means that I can't use it in any public place, or I have to remove a bunch of things I have on there and just use it as a 'play' device without a password... (ok, or think of another password that I don't use for any of my other applications, and change it regularly so anyone who looks over my shoulder can't get into it later)

Apple: please take note - this 'displaying last letter' thing really needs to be toggleable. Please add a 'change request' for this feature to be added in the future... ...please!

thanks,
Andy

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Answer 8

Jan 22, 2011 1:40 PM in response to adammacks

adammacks wrote:
.......... My son saw 3 of the displayed characters of my 9 digit password and was able to figure it out.

Here are 3 of my 10 and, to make it easy, they're in the proper order and case: *a 3 C*

Put him to work!

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Answer 9

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

121,962 points

Jan 22, 2011 2:13 PM in response to adammacks

This is actually a huge issue.

I'd be interested to know if you have found postings anywhere by others who think so. I believe it has been this way on all iOS devices since mid-2008, and untold millions of them have been put into use since then. I can't recall ever seeing a complaint about it here before, but I could have missed it….

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Answer 10

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,737 points

Jan 22, 2011 2:31 PM in response to adammacks

adammacks wrote:
This is actually a huge issue. My son saw 3 of the displayed characters of my 9 digit password and was able to figure it out.

Wow. That's amazing! It's especially amazing that he's unable to watch your fingers on the keyboard.

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Answer 11

Jan 22, 2011 5:30 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hi,

This may have been the way it has been on iOS since 2008 (not sure about that though), however I know (based on working in the IT industry for 20 years) that nobody on this planet can successfully argue that it would be 'acceptable security practice', for me to display 'every last letter' as I type of a secure 'root' password on my screen every day when you log in... Nobody would think it acceptable to display even their LAN/Domain password on the screen in this same manner. So why is iOS different?!

iOS on a phone (it used to be argued) doesn't need to be very secure as it is almost entirely phone numbers and email addresses that are being stored. However in recent years when the applications got better, and tablets came out, security became a much bigger issue as more and more people started using the functions of 'smart' phones to store more 'sensitive' data.

Kind regards,
Andy

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Answer 12

Jan 22, 2011 5:43 PM in response to AdventureBear

I have avoided this whole discussion up to now, but this is really reaching the point of ridiculous...a strong password of 12 characters, mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters (shift-number on the keyboard) is unbreakable. Even a genius son given 3 characters could not possibly break the password if it was a strong password. Showing each character in plain-text for a second or two, assuming the user has the intelligence to not expose the display for more than a second, would not result in a security breach. After 40 years of this, I feel it is just unfathomable that this would be a problem of this magnitude.

Use some common sense, do not expose your display to the world, use strong passwords, and pay attention to your surroundings.

The biggest threat to security is the user, not the person next to you.

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Answer 13

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,737 points

Jan 22, 2011 5:46 PM in response to AdventureBear

AdventureBear wrote:
Hi,

This may have been the way it has been on iOS since 2008 (not sure about that though), however I know (based on working in the IT industry for 20 years) that nobody on this planet can successfully argue that it would be 'acceptable security practice', for me to display 'every last letter' as I type of a secure 'root' password on my screen every day when you log in... Nobody would think it acceptable to display even their LAN/Domain password on the screen in this same manner. So why is iOS different?!

iOS on a phone (it used to be argued) doesn't need to be very secure as it is almost entirely phone numbers and email addresses that are being stored. However in recent years when the applications got better, and tablets came out, security became a much bigger issue as more and more people started using the functions of 'smart' phones to store more 'sensitive' data.

Kind regards,
Andy

Are you suggesting that someone looking over your shoulder can't see the keys that you're tapping with your fingers? In the interest of security, i would never, under any circumstances, enter a password when others are around.

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Answer 14

Jan 22, 2011 6:14 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

You make some good general points Ralph, however, these points don't really address the issue I was trying to make.

You're probably like me in having 85 odd passwords to various systems (and have a s/w password safe to keep a track of them all), so we don't need to lecture each other about various 'security best practices', however despite PEBCAK, etc, I see 'social engineering' threats to be the main ones that concern me personally.

I am just 'asking' why apple does not make it optional to hide all letters? (maybe my initial wording was not helpful?). I think only Apple can answer that one, however... so I have put in a 'feature request/enhancement request' for them to add this some time in the future.

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Answer 15

Jan 22, 2011 6:34 PM in response to AdventureBear

I agree AB, that only Apple can definitively answer your question. We are all fellow users on here. And yes, I have a very large number of strong passwords, one system takes seven passwords for me to get all the way in...try and remember those 🙂

We are talking as professionals about a system designed for consumers. If the system was designed to our standards the average consumer probably could not use it. After all, look at the passcode lock...set to 4 numbers by default. You have to take steps to move to a higher level, and no mention of strong passwords.

What do we do in a professional use? Say you must use strong passwords, must hide the display while entering the passwords, use strong passcode locks, and only use access points with WPA2+ security. I have no answer beyond that point if you want true security.

Ralph

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