Since the Pixel 8, Google’s camera-based face recognition has supported Android’s highest biometric standard. The Pixel 11 series now offers Face Unlock that “recognizes you more easily in low light.”
Google quietly mentions this update on the Pixel 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Fold product listings: “Face Unlock is now faster, more secure, and more accurate in low light.” This improvement is “compared to Pixel 10 phone series.” It appears at the end of a carousel that highlights Titan M3, built-in VPN, Call Screen, Scam Detection, and Satellite SOS.
Top comment by Whispy_Snippet
I loved the proper IR implementation of face unlock on the Pixel 4 and I also enjoy using face unlock on the Pixel 10 Pro, when it works. But being nerds we're the sort of people who'll recognise why it doesn't work in the dark. But what about a non techie who took the plunge on a Pixel after years of face unlock on iPhone? The only impression they'll get is that Face Unlock is unreliable on the Pixel whereas on the iPhone it's near flawless. Google is better off withholding a feature than releasing a half baked one. They should just be leaning on the excellent finger print sensor which works very reliably. If the strategy is to win over and retain former iPhone users then releasing a half baked worse version of Apple's Face Unlock is a bad move. It does more harm than good.
The standalone “Pixel Safe” page does not add much more detail: “Get into your phone safely and quickly, even in darker surroundings. Face Unlock now recognizes you more easily in low light, helping ensure you are the only one who can access your private information.”
After the Pixel 4, Google reintroduced Face Unlock with the Pixel 7. It was upgraded a year later to support tap-to-pay transactions and signing into apps, like banking clients. At the time, Google credited Tensor G3 and advanced machine learning algorithms with making this possible, but never went into detail. The Pixel 11 update looks to be getting the same treatment.
This update should help address the limitation of Google’s camera-only approach, but dedicated hardware is ultimately needed to match the quality of Face ID on the iPhone, which works in all lighting conditions.
Google’s work on IR-powered Face Unlock was expected to debut on the Pixel 11 at some point, but rumors several months ago said it would not be available in time.
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