Google Pixel 11

Google’s new face unlock hardware reportedly not debuting in Pixel 11 after all

Ben Schoon | May 4 2026 - 12:15 pm PT

According to a Pixel 11 leak, Google’s next flagship smartphone lineup won’t be adopting the new “Project Toscana” face unlock hardware after all.

Fingerprint has been the primary means of biometric unlock on Android phones for some time, but face unlock is the focus on iPhone, and Google has clearly been interested in the tech. 2019’s Pixel 4 series went all-in on IR-powered face unlock, and Google has since added camera-based face unlock on Tensor-powered Pixels that is considered strong enough to be used for actual biometric unlock, rather than an insecure lockscreen bypass as is the case on most other Android phones.

In 2024, we first got word that Google was working to improve on its face unlock, with a new option set to launch on Pixel 11 which would work in the dark – the main shortcoming of the camera-based method. A report from earlier this year detailed “Project Toscana,” a new face unlock upgrade that worked in the dark and was reportedly as fast as iPhone’s Face ID.

Sadly, it sounds like we won’t get this in Google’s next flagship.

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A major Pixel 11 series leak posted earlier today by Mystic Leaks claims that Google’s new face unlock hardware won’t be in place for Pixel 11, as it’s “simply still not ready for release.”

Pixel 11 leak reveals new camera hardware, Tensor G6 details, more specs

It seems like the door might not be fully shut here, but Mystic Leaks has a fairly solid track record. It’s reasonable to assume that Google might be delaying this feature to another generation. Given the tech reportedly involves IR hardware that hides behind the display, it’s not out of the question that Google was planning to debut “Project Toscana” this year, but ran into some unexpected roadblocks. It’s all just speculation at this point, though, as we’ll have to wait and see what happens in the coming months.