I hope that the Android face unlock improvement reported by Google does not replace fingerprint sensors
Apple introduced Face ID to the iPhone in 2017, and Android’s similar facial recognition features have lagged behind ever since. Of course, Apple’s approach isn’t perfect either. iPhones with pill-shaped camera cutouts or notches include additional sensors and technology needed for Apple’s Face ID feature. Android phones, by contrast, often have small hole-punch camera cutouts or under-display cameras. However, it is clear that Android’s facial recognition support is not as good as Apple’s Face ID.
That may change in the future, as a new report from Android Authority reveals that Google is working on an advanced facial recognition project for Android and ChromeOS called Project Toscana. Android Authority’s source is reported to be running Project Toscana on a Pixel phone with a punch-hole camera and two Chromebooks with unfinished external cameras. According to the report, Google’s upcoming facial recognition system will work alongside Face ID on the iPhone.
It’s unclear whether Google could use under-display sensors to power the feature or rely strictly on a single punch-hole camera. We don’t know when (or if) the technology might be released. However, it looks like Google Pixel phones and Chromebooks are about to get a big face unlock upgrade, and it’s worth getting excited about — in one case.
Problem with Android face unlock features
Android uses three levels to define the security of biometric features: Class 1 (lowest), Class 2 (medium), and Class 3 (highest). These were previously called Convenience, Weak, and Strong, respectively. Google designates biometric sensors as one of three levels based on their secure pipeline and three acceptance rate metrics known as Spoof Acceptance Rate (SAR), Imposter Acceptance Rate (IAR), and False Acceptance Rates (FAR). In simple terms, these metrics attempt to identify how easily a biometric sensor can be fooled or bypassed.
Class 2 or Class 3 biometrics can be used for secure actions, while Class 1 biometrics cannot. Class 3 biometrics gives direct access to BiometricPrompt and Android Keystore for use among other applications, such as banking applications or Google Wallet. The face unlock of the Google Pixel has been a Class 3 biometric starting with the Pixel 8 series. The basic implementation found in the Google Pixel 7 series did not meet this standard and can only be used to unlock devices.
That seems to address security concerns, but Google’s machine learning algorithm is used to provide Class 3 facial recognition in the Pixel 8 series and later it doesn’t work well without light. In dark situations, you may be forced to use your password or fingerprint.
By comparison, Apple’s Face ID systems use a “TrueDepth” camera system with a laser dot projector, floodlight, and infrared camera. The combination of sensors allows Face ID to reconstruct a 3D model of your face and work regardless of ambient light. Apple claims that Face ID has a false rate of 1 in 1,000,000, much better than the fingerprint-based Touch ID that replaced it.
While the quality of Face ID is very good, the camera system is bigger and goes deeper into the display than the standard Android camera sensor. Google’s Project Toscana may break the middle, using advanced facial recognition that works in low-light situations without requiring the main camera to be disconnected.
I can’t give up the fingerprint sensors no matter how good the face unlock is
That all sounds well and good, but I have one request for Google: don’t do the same thing as Apple. It’s true that Face ID is powerful, secure, and technologically advanced, but it’s also a hassle. Apple puts or Face ID or Touch ID in their biometrics products, but it should be both. In some cases, I prefer to use my finger to unlock my device rather than my face. Personally, I find Touch ID and fingerprint sensors generally to unlock my device faster and more consistently than facial recognition systems.
In fact, I have never set up facial recognition on my Android phones, and instead rely entirely on fingerprint sensors. I’m not willing to give it up – even with a reliable and advanced facial recognition system. It’s worth noting that there are no signs that Google is mulling the idea of adding Project Toscana as another way to read fingerprints, at least on Pixel phones.
That said, Google he did removed the fingerprint sensor from the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL back in the day in favor of the face unlock feature. Apple has done the same for every flagship iPhone released since the iPhone X in 2017. It’s not an unprecedented decision, especially for Google, but it could be a mistake.
Google, give us a better face unlock experience again keep the fingerprint sensor handy, because more options are rarely a bad thing.
