Google has fixed what has been termed by many to be a major flaw in its new Face Unlock biometric authentication system that was released with the Pixel 4 late last year.
In the latest release of the Android 11 Developer Preview 2 (DP2), the “require eyes to be open” feature is live, meaning users can now ensure that Face Unlock will only work if they have their eyes open.
The concerns over this flaw were that if you happened to fall asleep around a nosy and untrustworthy person they could gain access to your phone by holding it up to your sleeping face.
In a statement made to The Verge shortly after the launch of the Pixel 4, Google promised to fix this flaw, saying it would come in a future update without giving a specific date or timeline.
The updated setting is only currently available on the Pixel 4 if it is running the DP2, though Google cautions it is meant as a way for developers to test their apps and is still not a stable version of the OS planned for regular users.
Those users may have to wait until May to try the new feature when the first public beta is expected to be released. The official full release of Android 11 is expected to drop in Q3 of this year, though there is still the possibility that Google could push the update to a monthly security patch to get it to users sooner.
Sources: 9to5Google, TrustedReviews
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