Pixel 4 can be unlocked with facial recognition when user closes eyes

The Pixel 4’s face unlock feature also works on individuals who keep their eyes closed. As a result, the phone can also be unlocked for users who are sleeping, for example, or who are forced to do so. According to Google, that is the intention.

A journalist from the BBC discovered this for the first time. He then tested it on several people. The phone can be unlocked by just holding it in front of someone’s face. The owner does not have to have his eyes open, as is the intention with other authentication methods such as Apple’s FaceID and Microsoft’s Windows Hello.

The BBC also spoke to security experts who say the feature poses a risk to users. There are known cases where, for example, the police want to force someone to unlock a phone, but children could also easily get into their parents’ phone in this way without this being allowed. Before the phone was announced, images already surfaced about the facial recognition settings. It then contained an option to make it mandatory to have your eyes open to unlock, but that option is not included in the final review and sales models.

Google tells the BBC that the function will not be included during the introduction of the phone. On the information page about the Pixel, the company already warns that it is possible for others to unlock a phone by holding it in front of someone’s face. Google says that users who do not want that can also set a PIN to protect their device. They can also enable lockdown mode. This completely disables facial recognition. Google also says that Face Unlock is “constantly improving.”