There were two Pixel 6 smartphones released about five months ago, the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. Google Pixel 6 series’ Face Unlock feature was leaked ahead of the phone’s announcement.
It was rumored that Google planned to include facial recognition on its flagship phones, but missed its deadline and shipped the phones without it.
Shortly before the launch, the Face Unlock feature was dropped for some reason. Google is said to still plan to implement Face Unlock as a software update, according to last year’s reports and claims.
As XDA Recognized Developer “Freak07” discovered recently while digging through the Android 12 QPR 3 Beta, there is still hope for Face Unlock on Pixel 6 series.
Android 12 is mostly a bugfix update with a few new features. Here’s what the XDA developer noted:-
“Developer previews or beta releases on Git usually do not include device tree changes.”
Google has pushed a code change containing hints to the Face Unlock feature to its Git repository, which suggests they are still working on getting it to the smartphone.
Moreover, this Facial Recognition feature was reportedly known as “Tuscany” inside Google. While Google Pixel 6 series smartphones already feature the following security mechanisms:-
- Pin
- Pattern
- Password
- Fingerprint unlock (Under-display)
So, the Face unlock feature may soon be added to this list if the developer is to be believed and considered.