Google Pixel phones will get a bit closer to iPhones again. More advanced face unlock is in the works.

Face unlock on Pixel phones has one major weakness – once you turn off the lights, you can forget about it. Google is clearly aware of this and is preparing a fix. According to exclusive information from Android Authority, the company is internally testing technology that should solve this problem. Users could thus look forward to similarly convenient unlocking as on iPhones.

Project Toscana: face unlock that works even in the dark

Google má podle anonymního zdroje serveru rozpracovaný „Project Toscana“ – vylepšený systém odemykání obličejem pro telefony Pixel i Chromebooky. Technologie byla nedávno testována v sídle společnosti v Mountain View na prototypu Pixelu se standardním kulatým výřezem pro selfie kameru. Údajně nebyl viditelný výřez ani jakýkoliv podobný útvar s dodatečnými senzory.

Crucially, the tests were conducted in various lighting conditions, and according to the source, Project Toscana worked as fast as Face ID on an iPhone. It will likely rely on infrared technology, although Google has not officially confirmed this.

What this means for users

The current face unlock on Pixel 8, 9, and 10 works reliably only in good lighting. While it supports unlocking banking apps and Google Pay, in practice, most users give up after a few attempts in a dark bedroom. Project Toscana should offer the best of both worlds – secure unlocking anytime, anywhere, without having to sacrifice phone design.

If Google truly completes the technology, it could debut with the Pixel 11 series this August. We could see an official unveiling as early as the Google I/O conference in May.

Would you appreciate face unlock that works even in the dark?

Sources: Android Authority, 9to5Google