The newly launched Pixel 4 devices come with a face unlock feature that Google touts as its major security system. However, it's been discovered that the biometric mechanism is able to respond to a user whose eyes are closed.
Why is this a big deal? Well, this means that anybody could unlock your Pixel 4 while you're sleeping, or in the event of unconsciousness. The discovery was first made public by Chris Fox, a technology reporter for BBC, who had succeeded in unlocking the Pixel 4 on several people with their eyes shut.
Proof, for those asking #madebygoogle #pixel4 pic.twitter.com/mBDJphVpfB — Chris Fox (@thisisFoxx) October 15, 2019
The Pixel 4 range has so far been received positively, with many commending Google for its swift face unlock system. This biometric security feature is similar to the iPhone's Face ID, or so we thought.
Apple designed its Face ID system to only engage when the user's eyes are open - an impressive feature that the Cupertino tech giant calls "Attention Aware." This feature keeps the iPhone unlocked in the event it detects the eyes are closed, and unfortunately for Google, its Pixel 4 handsets lack this type of security.
However, Google seems to be well aware of this issue and didn't try to hide it at all:
"Your phone can also be unlocked by someone else if it's held up to your face, even if your eyes are closed," Google wrote on its support page. "Keep your phone in a safe place, like your front pocket or handbag." In situations where your phone's security is at stake, Google says you can turn off face recognition unlocking and notifications by pressing the power button longer and tapping Lockdown.
While clearly a huge mishap, it appears Google did try to integrate a feature similar to Apple's Attention Aware as evidenced by an early leak that showed screenshots of a "require eyes to be open" setting. For whatever reason, the setting is now missing on the actual Pixel 4 devices.
Samsung users also raised a security issue that the company addressed earlier this week. It's now working on a fix for a bug that lets people bypass the fingerprint sensor authentication on Galaxy S10 devices.
Addressing its face unlock fail, Google reassured future Pixel 4 owners that it would make improvements over time via software updates. Hopefully, those improvements arrive sooner.
