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Comment by meerita | Hacker News Reader

I visualize this: husband is sleeping deeply, wife picks up the phone and taps the home button while he's sleeping and unlocks the phone.

Release the kraken.

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First the NSA, now the wife, what's up with people in HN? Are you all planning a coup with your mistresses?

If you're married and your SO can't just ask you for your PIN code - and you will, without even thinking about it, give it to them - you might want to take some time to think hard about your relationship.

I can't imagine why I'd need to ask my SO's PIN or she'd need to ask mine - I actually would, as you say, probably give it without even thinking about it; but if you have a healthy relationship then noone feels any need to check the other's phone/email/diary/whatever.

My wife and I have each others' unlock codes because sometimes we get info from each others' phones for one another. "Hey hon, I've got my hands full, can you see if Jane replied to my text yet?" or "Can I use your phone to look up X? Mine's about to die."

We don't feel any particular need to check up on each others' communications, though. It's just a practical matter for us.

I have no unlock code, tbh. But my GF does, and I know her key. She told the key like 2000 times, but I forget it :D

Plot twist: her PIN is "2000".

I can imagine lots of reasons to use my partner's phone.

"Your dad sent a text, want me to read it to you while you're washing dishes? I know your mom's in the hospital."

"Mind if I use your phone to call our friends and tell them we're running late? I left mine at home and you're driving."

"Is it OK if I use your phone to put on some music? It's already paired with the reciever."

And so on. Checking a partner's phone doesn't have to include spying. Sometimes it's just the most convenient thing to do.

Ok, there can be valid uses. But they haven't happened in my 9 years together with my SO. Probably depends on the habits - I don't call/SMS that much anyway; I know her ATM card code, as we needed that some times, but I've got no idea about her phone/other passwords.

For me it is most about healthy habits: never ever give your password to anyone.

Anyone? How come?

How about a series of emails joking & griping about your wife's habits to your best friend? Completely harmless but not exactly the kind of thing that you'd want them reading.

Our digital selves trail back in time farther and farther these days; would you want your wife reading emails between you and an ex from before you met her?

Well if your wife has so little faith in you that she goes snooping in your email history, again, "you might want to take some time to think hard about your relationship."

"Honey my battery is dead. Can I borrow your phone?"

You don't think the wife would've seen the husband enter his passcode in front of her at least once?

I'm actually looking forward to the fact that we can now unlock each others phones but still have them secure to just us.

My gf has a habit of using the same PIN for everything. Now I can choose the PIN and set up her finger as one of the unlock mechanisms.

This is why the husband has his mistress unlock his phone.

also your child can make purchase on appstore using this technique. that is why we have "pin" aka "something you know".

If he doesn't have anything to hide from his wife then he has nothing to worry about.

So this argument is complete crap when it comes to governments but totally okay when it comes to spouses?

How about a series of emails joking & griping about your wife's habits to your best friend? Completely harmless but not exactly the kind of thing that you'd want them reading.

Our digital selves trail back in time farther and farther these days; would you want your wife reading emails between you and an ex from before you met her?

There's a deeply nested thread, right above, of people arguing against that idea. You just need to replace 'wife' with 'NSA'.

I just point it out because I find it's funny.

I agree trust and honesty is part of a healthy relationship.

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