Eye Detection Will Be Added To Pixel 4 For More Secure Face Unlocking

For a while, the new Pixel 4 of Google has definitely got the internet’s attention, from being leak quite generously before its official launch to not being released in some markets. But this time, people are focusing on its not-really-secure face recognition.

Google has acknowledged the smartphone's problem related to its face recognition feature which doesn’t need the user’s eye for the phone to be unlocked. Google has announced that a fix is underway and the phone will soon receive an update to offer users an option to use their eyes to unlock the phone. It’s such an unfortunate issue since this is something the company should have thought about before. Since the phone doesn’t have any fingerprint sensor, this issue makes the Pixel 4 only biometric authentication rickety.

This is Google’s official response:

Google’s face unlock uses an infrared camera to create dots on the face of the user, making a depth map out of it for accurate unlocking, even when it is dark. But unfortunately, the Pixel 4 does not require the user to open their eyes. So, despite its claim of being “secure,” a third person can still unlock the phone by simply putting the smartphone in front of its owner, even when they are sleeping.

This is not the first time for Google to be involved in some facial recognition problems. Earlier this month, Google’s contractors were caught choosing darker skin tones people to collect facial recognition data for the company.