LG’s New Knock Code to Improve Smartphone Security

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LG Media and Communications Manager Ms. Daisy Mugo (left) tests the KnockON feature on an L-Series II phone as the Head of Mobile Communications East Africa, Mr. Elvis Kim looks on.
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LG Media and Communications Manager Ms. Daisy Mugo (left) tests the KnockON feature on an L-Series II phone as the Head of Mobile Communications East Africa, Mr. Elvis Kim looks on.
LG Media and Communications Manager Ms. Daisy Mugo (left) tests the KnockON feature on an L-Series II phone as the Head of Mobile Communications East Africa, Mr. Elvis Kim looks on.

LG’s G Pro 2, G2 Mini, F Series and L Series III are set to have Knock Code™, the ability for users to unlock their LG smartphones by a simple knock pattern than the previous knock on feature which would unlock the smartphones with just a knock.

Knock Code wakes and unlocks the phone and gives it greater security over conventional password and pattern-based security options and also more convenient.

LG says Knock Code™ gives the smartphone display four invisible quadrants.

The user taps or “knocks” anywhere from two to eight times in the quadrants in a specific sequence. With more than 80,000 possible combinations and no fingerprint streaks, Knock Code™ offers a level of security far greater than other devices, even those with fingerprint recognition systems.

“All one needs to do is just tap on any of the designated four areas of the screen in a sequence of your choice and the smartphone gets unlocked without even waking up the display screen beforehand. And because Knock Code™ can be used anywhere on the display, it’s possible to access one’s phone without even looking,” says Josep Kim, the LG East Africa Managing Director.

Because Knock Code™ can be implemented anywhere on the screen in any size without having to view the screen, there’s no chance of password theft. In addition to being safer and more convenient, Knock Code™ is also more responsive compared to bio-recognition systems, which are much more susceptible to variations in the environment. Details of availability of the Knock Code™ upgrade will be announced locally in the weeks ahead.

Knock Code™ is an upgraded “sequel” of the highly acclaimed KnockON feature which debuted last year with the launch of LG G2 smartphone.  Since Knock Code™ wakes and unlocks the phone simultaneously; it provides more convenience and greater security over conventional password and pattern-based security options.

The electronics manufacturer plans to make its innovative Knock Code™ feature available on earlier LG smartphone models via a firmware update this month. Owners of LG G2 and G Flex in specific countries will be the first to receive the Knock Code™ update which will give users instant access to their smartphones via a customized “knock” pattern.

With recent consumer research showing that most users check and unlock their devices between 100 and 150 times a day, LG was inspired to further enhance its KnockON feature with a higher layer of security and convenience.

KnockON, which LG patented in 2008, was the perfect foundation to further develop Knock Code™, which is unique in its ability to both wake and unlock the phone in one step, a clear time-saver for users. It’s no surprise that more than 50 percent of participants in a recent survey selected Knock Code™ as the most anticipated feature of G Pro 2, demonstrating the real need for an alternate solution to smartphone security.

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Sam Wakoba
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Sam Wakoba is a pan-African technology journalist, author, entrepreneur, technology business mentor, judge, educationalist, and a sought-after speaker and panelist across Africa’s innovation ecosystem. He is the convenor of the popular monthly #TechNight evening event and the #StartupEast Awards and Conference, platforms that bring together startup founders, developers, entrepreneurs, investors, content creators, and tech professionals from across the continent. For more than 16 years, Sam has reported on and analysed Africa’s technology landscape, covering some of the continent’s most impactful, and at times controversial policies, programs, investors, co-founders, startups, and corporations. His work is known for its independence, depth, and fairness, with a singular goal of helping build and strengthen Africa’s nascent technology ecosystem. Beyond journalism, Sam is a business analyst and consultant, working with brands, universities, corporates, SMEs, and startups across East Africa, as well as international companies entering the East African market or scaling across Africa. In his free time, he volunteers as a consulting editor and fintech analyst at Business Tech Kenya, a business, technology, and data firm that publishes reports, reviews, and insights on business and technology trends in Kenya. Follow him on X: @SamWakoba