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Weekend poll: Do you prefer fingerprint scanners or face unlock?
What's your most trusted method for unlocking your phone?
These days, your smartphone probably contains an almost absurd amount of personal data. Bank accounts, credit cards, maybe even your driver's license — it's practically an internet-connected wallet. That makes keeping your phone as secure as possible an essential step, in case it's ever misplaced or, worse, outright stolen. But with so many methods for unlocking your phone, it should come as no surprise that every enthusiast has strong feelings about mobile security.
Face Unlock on the Google Pixel 8 has reportedly been tricked already
It's still unclear if this is a widespread issue
After being officially revealed earlier this month, the Google Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro have finally begun reaching customers. Among the many new features bundled with the two flagships, one that went under the radar was the addition of Face Unlock for payments, with the company saying the Pixel 8 series could now use just the users' face for authentication, specifying that the new phones meet "the highest Android biometric standard," i.e., Class 3. A user report on Reddit is now indicating that this Face Unlock system could be prone to misuse in some situations.
The Pixel 7's Face Unlock is only for the lock screen and can't be used to replace a fingerprint
Users can unlock with their fingerprint or face at any time
Apple has leaned far in with Face ID in the post-iPhone 8 era with a chunk of dedicated hardware — including a hefty time-of-flight sensor — playing into its devices' design language in one way or another. Google (and the wider Android ecosystem) has generally been more reluctant to stroll along that path for a variety of reasons, but for a lot of people, it boiled down to capitalizing on the fingerprint stans. Now, the company seems more comfortable opening up to both camps in its promoting of Face Unlock on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
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Back in 2019, the Pixel 4 debuted with a pretty elaborate face unlock system. For whatever reason, Google ended up rethink its approach to biometrics, and the 4a and 5 functioned with fingerprint sensors alone. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro came out in late 2021 and still, there was no sign that face unlock was returning. Following the discovery of some evidence suggesting there still might be ongoing work towards updating these phones with full face unlock support, a new report offers an insider look at the plan.
Face unlock for Google's Pixel 4 series of phones just keeps breaking. Some claim the Android 11 upgrade is to blame while others point fingers at more recent monthly updates. A reboot can temporarily fix the issue for some, while others are experiencing the problem in tandem with symptoms associated with the seemingly still-unfixed device sensor issue.
Google Autofill on Android can require biometric authentication now
Just like most other autofill providers
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It's been a couple of years since the Autofill API was added to Android and you've been able to use Google or other password managers to fill in your credentials and log in to apps. However, while most third-party password apps require you to verify your identity before releasing your details to another app, Google's autofill just surrendered those details willy-nilly as long as your phone was unlocked. That's not so secure. A recent change to Play Services fixes that by letting you require an on-the-spot authentication before Google autofills the data fields.
Chase is rolling out support for Pixel 4 face unlock more widely
Chase's Twitter support says it's slowly been rolling out since June 2
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More and more apps support Android 10's biometrics API, which means that they work with the Pixel 4's face unlock mechanism for authentication, saving you from typing in your password or PIN over and over again. One of the Big Four banks in the US is now getting ready to jump on the bandwagon for its app: Chase. After an initially extremely slow rollout, it seems that the feature is now in the hands of many more people.
Wells Fargo now supports face unlock on Pixel 4 devices
Another major bank's development team is finally embracing the Biometric API
When the Pixel 4 was launched last year, many people praised its fast face unlock system. It didn't do much good, though, unless it worked with the apps you used, and that wasn't likely at launch. Google introduced a new version of the Biometric API for Android 10 that worked with authentication methods such as fingerprints and faces, but it meant that developers had to add this updated API into their apps first. It took a while, but many bigger banking institutions are starting to support it, and now you can add Wells Fargo to that list.
Myki password manager adds face unlock on the Pixel 4
My favorite password manager is now all up to date with Android 10's biometrics API
Password managers and 2FA apps are a personal affair. From cloud to self-hosting to offline, there are different approaches that try to balance out convenience and security, and every one of us will end up weighing those differently and picking what works for them. I used Enpass for several years, but for the past 18 months or so, I found myself gravitating toward Myki. Now the app has finally added Android 10's biometrics API in v1.27, which means it supports face unlock on the Pixel 4.
Fingerprint sensors were the norm for a long time, but face unlock reentered the scene as the smartphone biometric authentication method a couple years back. Secure apps have been relatively slow to adopt face unlock, but TD Ameritrade has just become the latest finance-related app to support it.
Delta adds support for biometric unlock to its Android app
Make your next flight (DO NOT get on a plane) easier with Delta app biometric support (DO NOT remove your gloves to access the app)
Okay, so getting on a plane right now probably isn't the best idea, but Delta's Android app will be slightly better the next time you do take to the skies. The company just added support for biometric unlocking to its app, which includes the Pixel 4's face unlock.
Pixel 4 Face Unlock broken after reverting from Android 11 developer preview
Google now warns of this behavior in DP4
If you plan on just dipping into the latest developer preview for Android 11 with your Pixel 4 or 4 XL before proceeding back to normal life, be warned: a number of users are reporting that they cannot enroll in Face Unlock after reverting to a stable Android 10 build.
Discover's banking app now supports face unlock on the Pixel 4
More and more apps support the new biometrics API
The Pixel 4 and Android 10 brought us a new approach to biometric unlocks in the form of face recognition. To implement that technology, Google had to introduce a biometrics API that isn't compatible with the fingerprint interface of old. That's why all apps that have previously supported biometric fingerprint authentication have to be updated to work with the new API, which seems to be a painfully slow process. The latest app to add biometric face unlock is Discover's banking app.
6 months with Face Unlock on the Pixel 4: Anecdotes, surprises, and disappointments
Face masks, sunglasses, app adoption, and more
Although some form of face unlocking has been available on Android for years now, the secure method that relies on IR only started popping up on devices in the last year or two. Adoption of the feature has skyrocketed in recent times, and Google finally added face authentication to the biometrics API in Android 10. Since most flagships are now launching with no fingerprint scanner and just face unlock as a security method — to the joy and dismay of many — I decided to step back and take a look at my personal experience with the feature.
Pixel April updates land, bringing eyes-open face unlock setting to the Pixel 4
Plus the usual security patches
Google is rolling out its April security patches/updates for its Pixel phones. Although functional notes this time around simply state a handful of fixes related to Bluetooth and keyboard lag, this update also delivers an anticipated "eyes open" requirement for the Pixel 4's face unlock, which first debuted with the recent Android 11 Developer Preview 2.
Microsoft OneDrive adds face unlock support on the Pixel 4
Keep your files protected without sacrificing ease of access
More and more apps are adopting Android 10's official biometrics API, which means they now support both fingerprint authentication and face unlock, and will adapt to your phone. The latest one to join the fray is Microsoft's One Drive.
Five months after Google promised that it would be coming, the Pixel 4 has finally picked up an added bit of security for its face unlock system. Android 11 Developer Preview 2 has a toggle you can set for your Pixel 4 that requires your eyes to be open for face unlock to work.
More and more banking apps are adding support for Android 10's new biometrics API that allows you to use the Pixel 4's face unlock mechanism to access your account, mitigating the need to fill in your password over and over again. Ally Bank is the latest financial institution to join this growing group. The newest version of the Ally Mobile app now supports both fingerprint and face unlock, depending on your device.
'Require eyes to be open' setting for Face Unlock shows up on the Pixel 4, doesn't work yet
It's hidden and only seen from Settings search
Shortly after the Pixel 4 began making its way into users' hands, people started noticing an important oversight. The phone's Face Unlock could be used even when your eyes are closed, so if someone wanted to abuse this "security method," they could wait for you to be asleep (or dead, in a more tragic turn of events) and easily unlock your phone. Google said it was working on a setting to require your eyes to be open, but it hadn't showed up until now.
Not every app out there supports the Pixel 4's face unlock system for biometric authentication (yet), but those on the hunt for compatible apps have one more choice today. Credit Karma is the latest addition to the party.