• Development
  • [Feature request] Face Unlock on Google Pixel 9 Pro

Dear Devs,
please enable the face unlock feature which is available in the stock android under "smart unlock".
I understand your argument on "security concerns" but a great portion of GOS users is more into privacy than security.
We would love to get a lot more convenience in exchange for a little security.
Whoever is concerned by security problems could leave it deactivated by default.

Please consider enabling the face unlock feature.
Thanks for your great work.

    I think it probably requires some proprietary Google libraries or even priviledged GMS, so it probably isn' possible - but I'm just guessing here

    GrapheneBoy If it's not in AOSP, it won't be in GOS. Also, face unlock on Android is insecure. Not anywhere near close to what is happening on something like an iPhone.

    It is dubbed insecure by the GOS team so it won't be implemented. I have been pining for pattern unlock for a while but it is not implemented for the same reason. At the very least give us automatic unlock for a 4-digit pincode, because right now for convenience sake my PIN is 111111.

    These should be implemented for the same reason insecure/unprivate features like sandboxed google or exploit protection compatibility mode are:‌ convenience/threat model.

      GrapheneBoy Possibly of interest: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/15613-what-features-will-be-missing-in-gos-android-15-version/29

      My sense is that there isn't an open-source (e.g., AOSP) implementation of face unlock. It is possible that the GrapheneOS developers could set up enough compatibility code to run Google's face-unlock code (as they have done for Play and for Android Auto and for the thermometer app). But it might take a fair amount of work just to figure out how much work would be needed for a reliable implementation.

      If it would be a lot of work, and if the security wouldn't be great, and if it would benefit only people with Pro devices, I can imagine that the developers might decide it doesn't rank as high as things that would genuinely improve security for all GrapheneOS users. The situation with the thermometer was apparently not a lot of work, with no security concerns.

      Please note that I don't speak for the GrapheneOS project.

      axl sandbox Google play isn't insecure, if anything its more secure

      Exploit compatibility mode is a lot more secure than face ID/Pattern unlocking if used correctly

      Is there not a fingerprint reader?

      axl automatic unlock

      Why not just use a slightly more complex 6 digit code?

      By no means am I trying to be rude, I simply want to know your rationale

        pml yeah the extra effort is minimal and the security benefit is massive.

        I've not missed face unlock, I have a beard, glasses and a round head, so it was always spotty. I instinctively now just put my thumb on the screen.

        this is most likely not gonna happen. The face unlock in Stock utilizes advanced AI/ML models that were developed by Google and consumed quite a lot of money and need vast amounts of training data to work reliably. Recreating this doesn't seem reasonable for the GOS team. If you're (or anyone else is) asking for a less secure (face) unlocking method, I don't know what to tell you.

        • fria replied to this.

          splattergames Every face unlock/fingerprint unlock uses ML, the main reason it’s not included to my understanding was they don’t have the proper hardware for secure face unlock in the newer pixels for whatever reason.

            fria yes, maybe I should have been more precise. I meant 3D face unlock. To achieve that without the required hardware (IR blaster, IR camera or other depth sensors) is quite challenging with just a regular front camera with autofocus. The other scanners (that are also not certified to be secure like Samsung for example) don't offer that same in-depth training the Google models have. And I'm preeeetty certain the GOS team would never lower their standards beyond what even Google themselves offer; let alone other vendors. The Pixel 4 and 4 XL are the only Google phones to ever offer a physical (hardware based) face unlock due to the largely unsuccessful Soli sensor.

            Faceunlock is not secure. Not in Android, not in iPhone. If someone want you to unlock your phone, he just need strong arms to ask you for ;)

              phone-company in that regard, every biometric method is not secure, especially fingerprint. At least you can hold down power + volume up/down for 3 seconds to disable FaceID on iOS. Would love a similar feature on GOS too.

                phone-company Not really sure what you mean, Face ID has an option to not unlock unless you’re looking at it so it wouldn’t really be possible for someone to unlock it without you knowing very easily. Of course someone could always threaten you but then it’s the same as a password.

                splattergames thats the reason we should use 6digit codes for security... If someone asks you could give the dures pin ..
                To explain, in many countries the unlock may be enforced by authorities....