Deloitte has published a new study that finds over 20% of British smartphone users now authenticate via their fingerprint, signalling the increasing adoption of biometrics by the public.

The company surveyed 4,000 British consumers to compile its sixth annual mobile consumer survey, “There’s no place like phone“.

The study found that 63% of respondents use PINs and passwords to authenticate via the device, while 21% use fingerprint sensors to authenticate.

“We expect ownership of fingerprint readers to continue increasing rapidly,” the report states. “Many millions of people are likely to acquire a handset with a fingerprint reader over the coming year (either as a new or second-hand phone) and some people who currently have a fingerprint reader may start using it, as more apps offer this functionality.”

In the report, Deloitte states that fingerprint biometrics offers many advantages over other forms of authentication including being fast, inconspicuous, and it isn’t subject to ambient conditions in the same way as other biometrics.

The report also finds that only 2% of respondents said that they use voice recognition and facial recognition for authentication.

The results are similar to recent findings by Visa Europe, which published a study that shows Brits are placing their trust in banks over government agencies to protect their biometric data.

When asked who they would trust to offer biometrics authentication as a service to confirm their identity, 85% of consumers chose banks, 81% selected payment networks, 70% said global online brand, and 64% chose smartphone companies.