Before Google introduced the two new Pixel 6 smartphones last year, Face Unlock was seen in leaked press material. Google planned to launch it on the Pixel 6 Pro and then decided against it. It was already clear back then that it would be the return of a pure software solution because the Pixel 6 Pro only has a normal front camera.
Footage before the Pixel 6 presentation mentioned “Face and Fingerprint Unlock”:
There was Face Unlock for Android before – back in the days of the Nexus. Was then discarded over time due to lack of security. With the Pixel 4, there was only one Google phone later that even had 3D sensors for Face Unlock. This technology was no longer used from the Pixel 5 onwards. Now Face Unlock is showing up in the Pixel Feature Drop for June 2022.
Again some news to share regarding face unlock on Pixel 6/Pro devices. This time a glimmer of hope.
After going through the firmware dump of the new QPR3 Beta 1.1, I found a new change regarding face unlock in the powerhal config file. https://t.co/aO5m0YUxPn pic.twitter.com/r6DAssktPx
— Mile (@mile_freak07) March 26, 2022
Face Unlock for Google Pixel 6: New clues after more than four months
The new software is currently being tested. You get them on Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro as a beta. Modders and developers have come across a config file “behind the scenes” in the very latest Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1.1 that again mentions Face Unlock. A renewed glimmer of hope that Google will eventually implement its plans for face unlock?
I think it’s possible that Google actually waited out the worst of the pandemic. If masks are no longer mandatory as far as possible, Face Unlock can also be implemented better. Last year there was a new wave in autumn, so the feature was postponed and further optimized in the background. Sounds kind of plausible, doesn’t it? Now we have to wait and see what the Pixel Feature Drop will bring in June.