Pixel 4 owners can finally access a more secure version of the phone’s face unlock feature.
One of the biggest issues with the Pixel 4 at launch was that its face unlock system would recognize users even when their eyes were closed. It was a stark difference from Apple’s Face ID system, which wouldn’t work unless your eyes were open.
The idea behind requiring open eyes is that it makes it harder for people to get into your phone without your permission. For example, not requiring open eyes means someone could unlock your phone by pointing it at your face while you sleep.
Google said it was working on the feature a while ago, and it also recently turned up in the Settings app on Pixel 4 devices. However, users were unable to access the feature. Further, the feature went live on Pixel 4 devices running the second Android 11 Developer Preview, which dropped in March.
Ultimately, it looks like Developer Preview 2 (DP2) had the same feature cross over as DP1 earlier this year. DP2 had the April security patch, which included the face unlock update. Likewise, DP1 featured several changes thought to be part of Android 11 but that were actually part of the March security patch.
To turn on the feature, you’ll need to head to Settings > Security > Face unlock > Require eyes to be open.
Along with the updates to face unlock, the April security patch brought fixes for annoying Bluetooth bugs. That includes an issue with dropped audio as well as a fix for a memory leak that prevented additional Bluetooth Low Energy connections.
The April security patch should be hitting Pixel 4, 3, 3a and 2 devices now.
Source: Engadget
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