A look at the display, the smartphone is already activated: With the new Pixel 4 from Google, unlocking is pretty fast.
But there is a problem with the biometric security feature: Face Detection unlocks the phone even when the owner's eyes are closed, reports the BBC. In a short video, author Chris Fox shows on Twitter how to activate his Pixel 4 in this way.
In the "BBC" report, an IT expert warns that it's a "big security problem" if, for example, the phone can be unlocked when the owner sleeps. Partners or children could thus gain access to personal information without permission, simply by holding the phone in front of the sleeping owner's face.
This type of face recognition could also be problematic if law enforcement agencies want to access data stored on the smartphone. With the function called Face Unlock, a suspect could not resist, even with his eyes closed, that his phone will be unlocked by the officers. For example, this would not be possible with Apple's Face ID on the iPhone.
Faster, but not safer
Explicitly forbidden such an approach would not. In Germany, according to lawyer Udo Vetter is rather a gray area, when the police with the help of face recognition tries to unlock smartphones. Confidentiality allows the suspect to conceal passwords. However, if the person concerned does not have to become active himself, ie unlocks the device with his or her face, then this is a hitherto "not clarified borderline case".
In the case of the Pixel 4 series smartphones, Google does not use a fingerprint sensor, but instead relies entirely on face recognition. The necessary sensors hide in the upper edge of the phone and react, if the gesture recognition is activated, already when a hand approaches. This should unlock the device very quickly.
Google advises in emergency situations to lock mode
That Google is aware of the problem shows a post on a support page of the company. It states that third parties are able to unlock the phone if they keep it in front of the owner, even if their eyes are closed. Google's recommendation: "Store your smartphone in a safe place, such as in your breast pocket or purse."
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Pixel 4, Nest Mini, Nest WiFi: That's what Google's new gadgets look likeOn request of SPIEGEL also confirmed a Google spokesman on Friday morning: "Face Unlock could also work when the eyes are closed." When asked whether Face Unlock should be adapted with a software update, the company has not commented.
To prevent someone unlocking their cell phone during a robbery or while sleeping, the Google spokesperson recommends switching to lockdown mode. "If you want to disable Face Unlock temporarily, you can use the lockdown mode to require PIN, pattern or password."
This lock mode can be activated on Android 9 and higher devices by switching to the lock screen menu in the Display settings. There the option to show lock must be switched on. Then the lockdown function will appear in the form of a "lock" symbol when you press and hold the standby key. This suppresses all notifications on the lock screen and a code is mandatory.
