The recently launched Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro claim to have the highest Android biometric standard. This new feature, which provides Face Unlock for payments, failed, as reported by a Reddit user.
Pixel 8 Pro recognized and unlocked owner’s brother’s face even though he wasn’t registered
Reddit user’s Pixel 8 Pro’s Face Unlock consistently recognized its sibling, even though the two look quite different. Although Face Unlock was reintroduced with the previous series, the new Pixel models rely heavily on machine learning and artificial intelligence improvements for authentication.
The affected user speculates that the Pixel 8 Pro may mistakenly identify the siblings as twins, even though their father did not make a similar mistake. This appears to be an isolated incident, so it is premature to label it as a major safety concern.
Let’s also say that the user does not have Extend Unlock enabled, a feature designed to streamline the unlocking process for nearby trusted Pixel devices.
Google’s success in achieving high security levels with Face Unlock, even without special hardware, is remarkable. However, as seen in previous examples, even systems with special hardware such as Apple’s Face ID can be deceived under certain conditions.
Apple acknowledges that accidental pairings are more likely with siblings or children under 13 due to developing facial features.
It is conceivable that the Pixel 8 series may encounter similar situations, especially considering that this incident involved a family member. Still, it’s too early to draw a conclusion. More information may be revealed as more people get access to pre-orders of the device.
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