Need Help with how to integrate Biometric Fingerprint Authentication using Android External Fingerprint Scanner in your Android App using an External Fingerprint Scanner? I will show you how I did it and I can Help You, Your Company, Organisation or Institution to integrate with the same too !
Background Information
Have you realized in recent times that almost everything you could do on a computer you can now do it on an Android Phone and even do it more conveniently while on the move?
Computing power is gradually moving to hand held devices ( let’s say it aleady did )
A few years ago you needed to check into a Cyber Cafe to check your e-mails. Nowadays you do not have to do that ! Your can check e-mails from your Android Phone.
I have been able to do computer processing tasks like designing data flow diagrams from an Android Phone App which in the yester years would have required me to have a computer at my disposal to execute them.
With Android Phones gaining more computer processing power we expect to be able to run many other computer specialized tasks on our computer hand held devices ( …the Android Phones )
The need for Identity Software Solutions to adapt to the changing modern times and recent technology advancements has created scenarios where businesses and organisations find that there is need to be able to do Biometric Fingerprint Authentication in remote and disparate geographic locations using Android Phones.
I have previously had some of our current clients request for Biometric Fingerprint Authentication integration on their Android Operating Systems platforms after they successfuly integrated with our other Web Browser based Biometric Fingerprint Authentication Software packs.
Let’s continue …
This prompted me to develop Jomutech Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication software application that can be customized and integrated with a variety of database back-ends like Oracle, MSSQL, PostgreSQL, Cassandra, MySQL etc. to meet diverse Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication integration needs and user requirements.
Jomutech Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication can be integrated with every other Company, Organisation or Institution’s Android App that needs to be intefaced with Biometric Fingerprint Authentication features.
This page will show you some of the features of Jomutech Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication Android Software pack in Pictures and explain how they work. I will tell you about the accessories you need for an Android Phone to be able to use it. Toward the end I will also give you contacts you can use to discuss with me your Biometrics integration needs for your Company, Organisation, Institution’s Android Biometric Fingerprint Authenticcation integration.
Accessories you need for Android External Fingerprint Scanner
In order for you to capture fingerprints for purposes of fingerprint enrollment and fingerprint authentication, you will need 2 items. They are;
- OTG cable (USB On-The-Go). This is a cable that allows your Android Phone to become a USB host that can read data from a USB peripheral device like a Flash drive, Pointing Device, External Hardisk etc. but in this case you will use it to create a USB connection between your Android Phone and your Fingerprint Scanner / Reader.
- Fingerprint Scanner / Reader . You will need a Fingerprint Scanner to capture fingerprint data into the phone. Basically, the OTGcable will be the conduit between your Android Phone and the Fingerprint Scanner.
Recommended Fingerprint Scanner / Reader(s) for Android External Fingerprint Scanner
Not every other Fingerprint Scanner / Reader in the market can work with an Android Operating System. Take note that Android Operating System is a derivative of Linux Operating System
Upto now, there are very many Fingerprint Scanners / Readers which do not work with any other Operating Systems save for Windows only. This implies that they do not yet support Android Operating System and will thus not work on an Android Phone.
As a result of this, you will find that there are few Fingerprint Scanners / Readers that you can rely on to use with your Android Phone to implement Biometric Fingerprint Authentication. The below is a list of Industry tested, reliable and trusted fingerprint devices that work seamlessly with Android Phones. They are arranged in no particular order.1. DigitalPersona 51002. DigitalPersona 51603. DigitalPersona 52004. DigitalPersona 53005. Eikon Touch 5106. Eikon Touch 710
If experimenting is not for you and you simply want a guarantee for what works in the market and you want to set your project milestones on a success trajectory path from the very onset, then these are the Fingerprint Reader / Scanners that will work well with your Android Application’s Biometric Fingerprint Authentication.
Android Phone(s) Architectures Supported that you can use to Implement Android External Fingerprint Scanner
All Android Devices that support Armeabi-v7a binaries
Most of the Android phones in the market today support Armeabi-v7a binaries but it is good to do your due diligence from the device manufacturer to verify so and also carry out your own tests by yourself on the device.
Android Operating System(s) Supported
- Jelly Bean 4.1
- Jelly Bean 4.3.1
- KitKat 4.4
- KitKat 4.4.4
- Lollipop 5.0
- Lollipop 5.1.1
- Marshmallow 6.0
- Marshmallow 6.0.1
- Nougat 7.0
- Nougat 7.1.2
- Oreo 8.0
- Oreo 8.1
Back-End Database, User Particulars and Biometric Data Enrollment
The Back-End Database used is SQLite.
Currently, I save the User Biometric Data and User Particulars in SQLite. A full integration with a Company’s database is required to achieve centralized storage of all Biometric Data and User Particulars from other Mobile Phones enrolling Users’ Biometric Data in remote places and different Geographic regions.
SQLite should be used for temporary storage of biometric data. If this application is integrated with your Company’s database, code can be added that polls and listens for your dedicated network availability and then initiates ( …in the background) automatic sending of biometric data and user particulars captured during user enrollment to your main Company’s server databases like MSSQL, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL etc. for long term archiving.
Fingerprint Authentication
Currently, Fingerprint Authentication retrieves Biometric Data and User Particulars for Android Biometric Authentication from SQLite in the Android Phone. This is so for ease of demonstrating its Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication features and their functionality.
To make this Android application to be able to perform Biometric Authentication e.g. using Biometic Data captured and enrolled from your Company’s or Organisation’s Android Phones in different geographic regions and places, you will need to integrate it with your centralized and consolidated database to perfom Biometric Authentication from the universal pool of everyone’s enrolled Biometric Data and User Particulars
Installing Jomutech Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication App
The App will require to be granted the following rights for it to be installed. They afre;
- Take Picture and Videos – This will allow the Fingerprint Reader / Scanner to capture Fingerprint images during Fingerprint Enrollment and Fingerprint Authentication. The Fingerprint Scanner behaves in a way like a Camera hence the need for the Android Application to request for this privacy right.
- Read the Contents of your SD card – This will allow Fingerprint Reader / Scanner to save Fingerprint images in SD card. I will be removing request for this right as I later decided to save Fingerprint images in the Android Phone’s SQLite databasebefore they are later transfered to the Company’s or Organization’s centralized database.
- Full network access – This right will allow your Android Biometric Fingerprint application to synchronize its SQLite database with that of your Company or Organisation.
How to Register User Particulars and Enroll Biometric Data in Android
The following steps demonstrate how to Capture User Data and Enrol User’s Biometric Fingerprint Data for Saving to Database
- Open Jomutech Biometric Authentication application.
- Ensure that Person tab is selected then proceed to Enter Person data. Currently the Application provisions for four (4) input fields i.e. First Name, Middle Name, Surname and Social Security Number. You can request for more input fields or add more by yourself based on your Company’s integration need.
- Swipe to the right to go to Left tab or tap on Left tab to Enrol a Finger from the Left Hand. When you select a finger to enrol, the finger color will change color from Grey to Light Green.
- Press Finger four (4) times on Fingerprint Reader / Scanner. Observe that Progress Bar at the bottom will begin to fill up in four (4)successions every time fingerprint scanner is touched.
- Once Fingerprint has been enrolled, its color will change from Light Green to Dark Green. This is the indicator that Fingerprint from that Finger has been Successfully enrolled.
- Swipe once more to the right to go to Right tab or tap on Right tab to Enrol a Finger from the Right Hand. When you select a finger to enrol, the finger color will change color from Grey to Light Green.
- Press Finger four (4) times on Fingerprint Reader / Scanner. Observe that Progress Bar at the bottom will begin to fill up in four (4)successions every time fingerprint scanner is touched.
- Once Fingerprint has been enrolled, its color will change from Light Green to Dark Green. This is the indicator that Fingerprint from that Finger has been Successfully enrolled.
- Finally Swipe to the right to go to Save tab or tap on Save tab to now save enrolled person’s User particulars and Biometric Data to Database.
- After Save, the Application will return you to Person tab and notify you that it has saved Person successfully in the database.
That’s all there is to enrolling a Person and their Biometric Data in an Android Database.
Capturing Person Particulars for Registration
Enrolling Fingerprint from Left Hand
Enrolling Fingerprint from Right Hand
Saving Person Particulars and Biometric Data to an Application using Android External Fingerprint Scanner Phone’s Database
If your Android External Fingerprint Scanner Application is integrated with your Company / Organisation’s database, the Person Data and Biometric Data Captured will be saved to your Company / Organisation’s centralized database or in your Cloud data center
How to Authenticate User using their Captured Biometric Data in Android
The following steps will show you how to do Biometric Fingerprint authentication in Android;
- Touch the Green Home button at the top to go to Home activity.
- At Home you will see Biometric Fingerprint Registration and Biometric Fingerprint Authentication buttons. You will click on the Biometric Fingerprint Authentication button to go to the Android Fingerprint authentication activity.
- While at the Fingerprint Authentication activity, press Finger on Finger Reader / Scanner.
- Observe that you will see a Matched Successfully message below the Fingerprint image if a Person’s fingerprint Match was Successful. A GREEN icon with a tick will be shown at the right of the Fingerprint image if Fingerprint Match was Successful. Note that Person Particulars i.e. Person Name and Person Number will be shown if the Match was Successful.
- Observe that you will see a No Match Found message below the Fingerprint image if a Person’s fingerprint Match was NOT Found. A RED icon with a cross will be shown at the right of the Fingerprint image if Fingerprint Match was NOT Found. Note that there are NO Person Particulars that will be shown if Match was NOT Found.
- When there’s a Matched Successfully message below the Fingerprint image and the Person Particulars i.e. Person Name and Person Number are shown, you can tap on these particulars to see the details in full in the Authenticated Person’s Activity. This is only possible after a Successful Match and when a Match was Found.
- To perform another Person’s Biometric Fingerprint Authentication while at the Authenticated Person activity, touch the Back button to go back to Biometric Fingerprint Authentication
That’s all there is to authenticating a Person and their Biometric Data from an Android Application.
Learn about this PHP Web Biometric Smart Card Integration that O developed for doing Web Biometric Authentication using Smart Cards in PHP.
Authenticating Person in Android using their Biometic Fingeprints
If there are no Enrolled Persons in Database, you will see a notification that Jomutech Database is Empty and the Fingerprint Scanner will NOT be Activated ( … I will power it off in this instance and power it on when there’s some enrolled persons in database)
NO MATCH Found and SUCCESSFUL MATCH
Our Company / Organisation / Institution needs urgent assistance to integrate with an Android External Fingerprint Scanner
That’s what I do. Send me an email. I will advise you on how to do it
Can our Company integrate with this Android External Fingerprint Scanner Software pack with our Back-End?
Yes. Send me an email. I will discuss with you about your Back-End and advise you on how to go about it.
Can you Help us integrate Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication Software pack with our Company Android App?
Yes. You can Pay for Integration and Developer Support and I will Help your Company / Organization integrate with the Android Biometric Fingerprint Authentication software pack. Send me an email we discuss this in detail. I will advise you on how to get started.
Joseph Mwema, we would like to Establish contact with you so that you can Help us with Biometrics integration in our Project. How do we contact You and what are your terms of Engagement?
Learn more about what I do and what my asking rates are for those interested in engaging my expertise in developing and implementing identity access management solutions in their Software based Projects using Biometrics from here About Section of Joseph Mwema’s Vlog
Check out this Video DEMO for an Android PHP Web Biometric Integration that I also developed using a HID DigitalPersona 4500 Finger Scanner Reader. See Video DEMO below.
Some of the Companies, Organizations and Institutions that I have helped to integrate Biometrics in their Software Applications
