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Google Pay v2.1 adds support for Pixel 4’s face unlock when sending money

Face unlock on the Pixel 4 is fast and (mostly) secure, but it has a few drawbacks. One of those is app support, but that’s slowly being fixed. Today, Google Pay has been updated to support face unlock on the Pixel 4 when sending money to other users.

Since Google Pay doesn’t require authentication every time you make a payment in stores, the service has always worked with the Pixel 4’s face unlock for its core functionality. However, sending payments to friends/family over the service does require some form of authentication.

By default on the Pixel 4, that’s using the PIN on your device. On other devices, you can use the fingerprint sensor. With this latest update, though, Google Pay can take advantage of the more advanced biometrics on the Pixel 4. It’s definitely a minor change, but one we can appreciate.

Notably, this feature is disabled by default, so you’ll need to enable it in the settings. To do that, head to Settings > Sending money and toggle “Use biometrics instead.” The Google Pay app will then open up the face unlock interface once to verify that your face matches the on-device model and then you’ll be good to go.

Google Pay v2.1 is rolling out now on Google Play.

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